Actually, the melody was an old irish tune called right in the vote and a fellow named Jesse Hutchison who was of the Hutchison Family serenaded the president a number of times. Hurrah for the choice of the nation our chieftain so brave and so true well go for the great reformation for lincoln and liberty, too well go for the son of kentucky the hero of hoosierdom through the pride of the suckers, so lucky for lincoln and liberty, too theyll find what by felling and mauling our railmaker statesman can do for the people are everywhere calling for lincoln and liberty, too then up with the banner so glorious the starspangled red, white and blue well fight til our banners victorious for lincoln and liberty, too our davids good sling is unerring the slavocrats giant he slew then shout for the freedom preferring for lincoln and liberty, too well go for the son of kentucky the hero of hoosierdom through the pride of the suckers, so lucky for lincoln and liberty, too [applause] thank you very much. I would like to ask you to seamlessly with me in the spirit of president lincoln. You know, the song mixing the song they can look would be written by a southerner. The writer was from ohio. He actually wrote it and premiered it in 1859, which was a year before South Carolina seceded and you would have thought that he would have premiered it in new orleans, or nashville, etc. Town. But it was in the city. Now lets all dixie together in honor of president lincoln. I wish i was in the land of cotton old times there are not forgotten; look away look away look away dixie land. In dixies land where i was born in early on one frosty mornin look away look away look away dixie land. I wish i was in dixie, hooray hooray in dixies land ill take my stand to live and die in dixie. Away, away, away down south in dixie. Away, away, away down south in will dixie. [applause] thank you, everyone. Thank you, bobby. Our final speaker is the current chair of the History Department and a history professor at howard university, specializing in 19 century africanamerican history. These here this morning to discuss how Abraham Lincoln second inaugural marked a transition for the nation, being engaged in a struggle for civil rights for all citizens. Please help me in welcoming dr. Edna meade correct dr. Edna medford. [applause] good morning. I was present at the inauguration of mr. Lincoln, the fourth of march, 18 65. I heard him deliver this wonderful address. I know not how many times and before how many people i quoted the following words of our martyred president. They struck me at the time and have seemed to me ever since to contain more vital substance than i have ever seen compressed in a space so narrow. Frederick douglass, 1865. For nearly two years as president lincoln initially struggled to keep the border states within the union, douglas had been a relentless critic. Only after the president promised freedom to enslaved men and women in the seceded states did douglas temper his criticism. But even then, he continued to press lincoln for greater concessions, especially equal treatment for black soldiers. As lincoln grew in his recognition of the role black men were playing to win the war for the union, the great abolitionist and or greater orator became more confident that the president would work on behalf of all americans, including africanamericans. In this regard and many others lincoln second inaugural address did not disappoint. When the former slave attended the inaugural reception, the president asked him what he thought of his age. Douglas assured him it was a sacred effort. One imagines that was left the reception convinced that in lincolns second term, africanamericans would secure the freedom and equality they had envisioned and for which they had fought. In the address, the president had called for legation. Called for reconciliation. He had suggested the need to bind up the nations wounds and to care for those who had torn the battle. Borne the battle. Douglas understood that africanamericans would need all of the nations good wishes and assistance if they were supposed to meet the challenges of postcommit postemancipation. During the war, leaders in the Africanamerican Community had pressed vigorously for civil rights for prewar blacks and the newly emancipated. The great agitator was now encouraged the president s final public remark on april 11 when he spoke for Voting Rights of certain groups of africanamericans, especially the soldiers whom douglas had always believed had earned the right to full citizenship. Optimism had soared in the black community. But just three days later, the with the architect the wouldbe architect of a new america would be felled by the action of a cowardly assassin. As the country mourned the president s death africanamericans Share International grief. But they also grieved the loss of opportunity that lincolns second term promised. There was little, if any indication that Andrew Johnson the new president was either capable or inclined to secure the rights of people of color. Unfortunately, he met the expectations that africanamericans had of his administration. The saving grace of his tenure however was his ineffective management of the socalled radicals in congress who weakens any power who weakens any power he might have been been expected to have. The time of progress was only a brief interlude in the continuing struggle for equal rights for next century. From the postemancipation era and for most of the 20th century africanamerican men and women alongside nonblack supporters battled segregation of all kinds. They challenged employment discrimination. They fought against disenfranchisement. And suffered violence at the hands of those who would keep insubordinate. Not only was there a denial of justice and opportunity to the black man that who had borne the battle but there was precious little for his widow and his orphan, or for the generations that followed. By the mid20th century, the problems of black exclusion has spawned a movement that would not be state. S tayed. The landmark brown versus board of education overturned classy versus ferguson that had given nationalization to unequal treatment of africanamericans. Decades later, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights act of 1965 restore the right of that black men and women had been denied in the previous century. This restoration did not come without great sacrifice. 50 years ago today, the struggle to create a just and fair america that lincoln had envisioned could be seen in selma, alabamas bloody sunday. The violent response of Law Enforcement officials to Peaceful Demonstrations for black Voting Rights reminds us of the hatred that lincoln hoped would fade away in the aftermath of war. But selma, as horrific as it was to those that suffer through it also reminds us of the tenacity of a people, of their insistence on equality and fair treatment at great personal risk. Sadly, we have yet to turn the corner on bigotry and racial prejudice that had been constant in our National History and i had damaged the entire nation. Our failure is reflected in both the individual and collective violence that is disproportionately exhibited against people of color. While the incidence of recent times are nothing new, they signal a retreat from reason and from justice that is incomprehensible and not reflective of who we say we are as a nation. Today as we commemorate the political and personal triumph of a great leader that has pledged let us pledge to recommit ourselves to the principles he cherished and champion in his lifetime. [applause] in case anyone is wondering it does seem like reagan airport is back and fully operational. Thank you very much, dr. Medford. There are certainly no better place for a discussion of civil war and civil rights than right here at the Lincoln Memorial. This National Memorial truly embodies the civil war and the civil rights theme as it honors a man who dedicated his presidency to the reunification of the union, and he campaigned vigorously for the 13th amendment, and his dedication in 1922, dr. Robert voting of the Tuskegee Institute focus on lincolns vision for a new birth of freedom rather than a reunification as the focal point of the memorial up to that point. From that point on, however the Lincoln Memorial became the National Stage for those that for those fighting for civil rights. Others who followed in those with that include marian anderson, who held her in her sunday concert here at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 when she was barred from singing at the segregated constitution hall. And of course, dr. Martin luther king jr. , who gave his famous i have a dream speech here during the march on washington for jobs and freedom in 1963. Two years later, dr. King took his struggle for civil rights to selma, alabama, and on march 7, 19 five, 1965, 50 years ago today, king and supporters marched from selma to Montgomery Alabama by way of the pettus bridge. Their nonviolent protests were met with billy clubs and they were driven back into selma. The clash was seen around the world and it had come to be known as bloody sunday. A few years later on march 1, 19 a few weeks later on march, 1965, he delivered is beach in the alabama capital. He quoted the battle open he quoted lyrics from the battle hymn of the republic. It became the anthem of the civil rights movement. Youre with me today, the children of the gospel choir who will perform a medley of spirituals. Get on board, little children oh, freedom, and america, the beautiful. And they will include with dr. Kings montgomery speech. Get on board, little children get on board, little children get on board, little children theres room for manyamore. I hear the train a comin i hear her close at hand i hear those car wheels rumblin and rollin through the land. Get on board, little children get on board, little children get on board, little children theres room for manyamore. The fare is cheap and all can go. The righ and poor are there no second class upon this train no difference in the fare. Get on board, little children get on board, little children get on board, little children theres room for manyamore. [applause] oh freedom, oh freedom oh freedom over me and before ill be a slave, ill be buried in my grave and go home to my lord and be free oh freedom oh freedom oh freedom over me and before ill be a slave, ill be buried in my grave and go home to my lord and be free and before ill be a slave, ill be buried in my grave and go home to my lord and be free and before ill be a slave, ill be buried in my grave and go home to my lord and be free [applause] o beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain for Purple Mountain majesties above the fruited plain America America god shed his grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea o beautiful for spacious skies for amber waves of grain for Purple Mountain majesties above the fruited plain America America god shed his grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea America America god shed his grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea sea to shining sea sea to shining sea sea to shining sea and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea [applause] mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord he is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored he has proved this fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword his truth is marching on lori glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory, hallelujah his truth is marching on glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory, hallelujah his truth is marching on in the beauty of the lilies that were born across the seas theres a glory in his visage god is marching on glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah is truth is marching on [applause] all i can say is, while w ow. Thank you very much for that stirring music. Ladies and gentlemen, that can todays program, but we have one more for you to do. We would like to invite you to get up out of your chairs and walk up to the next layer of stairs here on the Lincoln Memorial and we would like to get a group photo. If the opportunity to get your picture taken with and the opportunity to get your picture taken with presently can. On behalf of the park service and the Lincoln Group of the district of columbia, thank you so much for coming today. [applause]