Presidential Inauguration Brings History Full Circle

This year's presidential inauguration brings with it a slew of historic milestones:

Vice-president Joe Biden is sworn in by Obama's first Supreme Court Justice nominee and the first Hispanic on the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor. What's more, Sotomayor marked another milestone: being the first Latina to administer the oath of office. 

Sotomayor recently released her book, My Beloved World, and will be appearing at the University of Miami on February 1, 2013 at the BankUnited Center. The talk is titled "A Conversation with President Donna Shalala."

Monday's inauguration marks the fourth time President Barack Obama is sworn in, making him the second president to do so. The first president to be sworn in four times was Franklin D. Roosevelt (term limits were instituted after FDR's presidency). During Obama's first inauguration in 2009 with Chief Justice John Roberts, mistakes were made and that oath was redone the next day. This time, the Constitutional end of Obama's second term fell on Sunday, January 20, during which Roberts administered the oath in a private swearing-in ceremony and then again during Monday's official inauguration.

The inauguration is, appropriately, on the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, said Obama in a video about what the inauguration means to him. 

It's also on Martin Luther King, Jr.s birthday. 

Taking Monday's presidential oath upon a bible once owned by King (and on a bible once owned by Abraham Lincoln), Obama brought full circle the connection between two notorious champions of freedom and civil rights and our nation's first black president.

On Friday, January 18, 2013, King's son, Martin Luther King III, spoke at Broward County's YMCA breakfast at the First Baptist Church of Ft. Lauderdale, honoring 15 children for their service to the community. King III lamented about the lack of progress, stating that he always has a "heavy heart in January because we have not fully realized the dream." King III's words echo Obama's during the 2008 DNC, "we still have more work to do." 

Read the full story about King III's visit: King's son brings message to South Florida. 

Analyzing the news elements of The Miami Herald's "King's son brings message to South Florida." 

News Elements: 

1. Prominence: Martin Luther King III is the son of Martin Luther King, Jr., a prominent civil rights leader who was assassinated. 
2. Timeliness: The story was released on the weekend celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. day. 
3. Proximity: The story tells of King III visiting South Florida. This is news to local readers of The Miami Herald. 
4. Human Interest: The story writes about 15 YMCA children who are being honored at the breakfast that King III was invited to speak. The 15 children were honored for their community service project, "Own the Overpath," which mobilized a campaign to combat gang-related bullying in the area. 

Sources:

Politico.com
Journal Gazette.net
MiamiHerald.com