[ APPLAUSE ]
>> MR. PRESIDENT, DR. BIDEN,
MADAM VICE PRESIDENT,
MR. EMHOFF, AMERICANS AND THE
WORLD, WHEN DAY COMES WE ASK
OURSELVES WHERE CAN WE FIND
LIGHT IN THIS NEVER-ENDING
SHADE?
THE LOSS WE CARRY, A SEA WE MUST
WADE, WE BRAVED THE BELLY OF THE
BEAST.
WE’VE LEARNED THAT QUIET ISN’T
ALWAYS PEACE AND THE NORMS AND
NOTIONS OF WHAT JUST IS ISN’T
ALWAYS JUST IS.
AND YET THE DAWN IS OURS BEFORE,
WE KNEW IT, SOMEHOW WE DO IT,
SOMEHOW WE WEATHERED AND
WITNESSED A NATION THAT ISN’T
BROKEN BUT SIMPLY UNFINISHED.
WE, THE SUCCESSORS OF A COUNTRY
AND A TIME WERE WHERE A SKINNY
BLACK GIRL DESCENDED FROM SLAVES
AND RAISED BY A SINGLE MOTHER
CAN DREAM OF BECOMING PRESIDENT
ONLY TO FIND HERSELF RECITING
FOR ONE.
AND YES, WE ARE FAR FROM
POLISHED, FAR FROM PRISTINE, BUT
THAT DOESN’T MEAN WE ARE
STRIVING TO FORM A UNION THAT IS
PERFECT.
WE ARE STRIVING TO FORAGE A
UNION WITH PURPOSE, TO COMPOSE A
COUNTRY COMMITTED TO ALL
CULTURES, COLORS, CHARACTERS,
AND CONDITIONS OF MAN.
AND SO WE LIFT OUR GAZE NOT TO
WHAT STANDS BETWEEN US BUT WHAT
STANDS BEFORE US.
WE CLOSE THE DIVIDE BECAUSE WE
KNOW TO PUT OUR FUTURE FIRST WE
MUST FIRST PUT OUR DIFFERENCES
ASIDE.
WE LAY DOWN OUR ARMS SO WE CAN
REACH OUT OUR ARMS TO ONE
ANOTHER.
WE SEEK HARM TO NONE AND HARMONY
FOR ALL.
LET THE GLOBE, IF NOTHING ELSE,
SAY THIS IS TRUE.
THAT EVEN AS WE GRIEVED, WE
GREW, THAT EVEN AS WE HURT WE
HOPED, EVEN AS WE TIRED WE WERE
TIED TO BE TOGETHER, VICTORIOUS,
NOT BECAUSE WE WILL NEVER AGAIN
KNOW DEFEAT BUT BECAUSE WE WILL
NEVER AGAIN SOW DIVISION.
SCRIPTURE TELLS US TO ENVISION
THAT EVERYONE SHOULD SIT UNDER
THEIR OWN VINE AND FIG TREE AND
NO ONE SHALL MAKE THEM AFRAID.
IF WE’RE TOO LIVE UP TO OUR OWN
TIME, THEN VICTORY WON’T LIE IN
THE BLADE BUT IN ALL OF THE
BRIDGES WE’VE MADE.
THAT IS THE PROMISE TO GLADE,
THE HILL WE CLIMB, IF ONLY WE
DARE IT, BECAUSE BEING AMERICAN
IS MORE THAN A PRIDE WE INHERIT.
IT’S THE PAST WE STEP INTO AND
HOW WE REPAIR IT.
WE’VE SEEN A FOREST THAT WOULD
SHATTER OUR NATION RATHER THAN
SHARE IT, WOULD DESTROY OUR
COUNTRY IF IT MEANT DELAYING
DEMOCRACY.
IN THIS EFFORT VERY NEARLY
SUCCEEDED.
BUT WHILE DEMOCRACY CAN BE
PERIODICALLY DELAYED, IT CAN
NEVER BE PERM NEGLIGENTLY
DEFEATED.
IN THIS TRUTH, IN THIS FAITH WE
TRUST, FOR WHILE WE HAVE OUR
EYES ON THE FUTURE, HISTORY HAS
ITS EYES ON US.
THIS IS THE ERA OF JUST
REDEMPTION.
WE FEARED AT ITS INCEPTION WE
DID NOT PREPARE TO BE THE HEIRS
OF A TERRIFYING MILE AN HOUR,
BUT WITHIN IT WE FOUND THE POWER
TO AUTHOR A NEW CHAPTER, TO
OFFER HOPE AND LAUGHTER, TO
OURSELVES, SO WHILE ONCE WE
ASKED, HOW COULD WE POSSIBLY
PREVAIL OVER CATASTROPHE, NOW WE
ASSERT, HOW COULD CATASTROPHE
POSSIBLY PREVAIL OVER US?
WE WILL NOT MARCH BACK TO WHAT
WAS BUT MOVE TO WHAT SHALL BE, A
COUNTRY THAT IS BRUISED BUT
WHOLE, BENEVOLENCE BUT BOLD,
FIERCE AND FREE.
WE WILL NOT BE TURNED AROUND OR
INTERRUPTED BY INTIMIDATION
BECAUSE WE KNOW OUR INACTION AND
INERTIA WILL BE THE INHERITANCE
OF THE NEXT GENERATION.
OUR BLENDERS BECOME THEIR
BURDENS.
BUT ONE THING IS CERTAIN.
IF WE MERGE MERCY WITH MIGHT AND
MIGHT WITH RIGHT, THEN LOVE
BECOMES OUR LEGACY AND CHANGE
OUR CHILDREN’S BIRTHRIGHT.
SO LET US LEAVE BEHIND A COUNTRY
BETTER THAN THE ONE WE WERE LEFT
WITH EVERY BREATH FROM A
BRONZE-POUNDED CHEST.
WE WILL RAISE THIS WOUNDED WORLD
INTO A WONDROUS ONE.
WE WILL RISE FROM THE GOLDLAND
HILLS OF THE WEST, RISE FROM THE
WIND-SWEPT NORTHEAST WHERE OUR
FOREFATHERS FIRST REALIZED
REVOLUTION.
WE WILL RISE FROM THE LAKELAND
CITIES OF THE MIDWESTERN STATES,
FROM THE SUN-BAKED SOUTH.
WE WILL REBUILD, RECONCILE, AND
RECOVER.
EVERY KNOWN NOOK OF OUR NATION
AND EVERY CORNER CALLED OUR
COUNTRY, OUR PEOPLE DIVERSE AND
BEAUTIFUL WILL EMERGE BATTERED
AND BEAUTIFUL WHEN WE STEP OUT
OF THE SHADE AFLAME AND
UNAFRAID.
THE NEW DAWN BLOOMS AS WE FREE
IT.
FOR THERE IS ALWAYS LIGHT IF
ONLY WE’RE BRAVE ENOUGH TO SEE