Sunday January 18 We Are One Concert Yes!! We were there! All 3 of us walked through the cold & successfully got to the mall. There were several LONG lines of folks waiting to get in. We made it through the checkpoint to work our way in to the area around the Lincoln Memorial. Many people were turned away.
Marine One bringing President Bush back from Camp David for the final time. We also saw the motorcade for the Obamas going to Blair House before the concert.
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This shows how close we actually were to the memorial.
Couldn't see a lot of the performers at all & sometimes only had glimpses of the big screen. We had to peer around heads & try to see through the trees to get a good view of the screen. If I'd been 2 feet taller it would have been fine! So, I held my camera above my head & took whatever shot I could.
Some came out pretty clear.
It was a MARVELOUS experience (even with the cold & standing for several hours) to be in the crowd at the Lincoln Memorial where so many other historic events have taken place.
The concert was good & there were performers for nearly every generation & genre. The crowd was able to sing along on many songs & even the loud, out-of-tune guy was joyful noise.
Everyone was in a good mood & glad to be there. It even brought out a few tears during some songs & speeches. I really felt like a part of something hugely important! If you didn't see the concert on HBO, find it on line & watch, it's worth it! One of the touching moments was the story of Marian Anderson being turned away from Constitution Hall because she was African-American. The DAR didn't want a black woman, even a top opera singer, performing in their hall. Eleanor Roosevelt & the Secretary of the Interior, Harold Ickes, set up a concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. That was the beginning of its symbolism as a civil rights location. As we left we went by Constitution Hall.
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No doubt who the star of the show was...... every time they showed a shot of Obama's reactions to a performance the crowd started cheering. The performers were cheered with gusto, but the volume increased when Barack Obama came to the podium. I never thought I'd see so many stars anywhere other than a TV show. Bruce Springsteen Garth Brooks Beyonce Herbie Hancock Stevie Wonder Jack Black George Lopez Tom Hanks Rosario Dawson Marisa Tomei U2 Mary J. Blige Sheryl Crow Will.I.Am Laura Linney Martin Luther King III John Mellencamp Queen Latifah Jon Bon Jovi Betty LaVette Heather Headly Shakira Usher Tiger Woods Steve Carrell Ashley Judd Samuel L. Jackson Renee Fleming Josh Groban John Legend Jennifer Nettles James Taylor Jamie Foxx Denzel Washington
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Links for today:
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