MISTER PRESIDENT DOCTER BYDEN MADAM VICE PRESIDENT MISTER MHOFF 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 BRAVE THE BELLY OF THE BEAST WE'VE LEARNED THAT QUIET ISN'T ALWAYS PEACE IN THE NORMS IN NOTIONS OF WHAT JUST
IS ISN'T ALWAYS JUST IS AND YET THE DAWN IS HOURS BEFORE WE KNEW IT SOMEHOW WE DO IT SOMEHOW WE'VE WEATHERED AND WITNESSED A NATION THAT ISN'T BROKEN BUT SIMPLY UNFINISHED WE THE SUCCESSORS OF A COUNTRY AND A TIME WERE 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 PESTIM BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE ARE STRIVING TO FORM A UNION THAT IS PERFECT WE OR STRIVING TO FORGE OR UNION WITH PURPOSE TO COMPOSE A COUNTRY COMMITTED TO ALL CULTURES COLORS CHARACTERS AND CONDITIONS OF MAN AND SO WE LIFT OUR GAZES NOT TO WHAT STANDS BETWEEN US BUT WHAT STANDS BEFORE US WE CLOSE THE DIVIDE BECAUSE WE KNOT A
PUT OUR FUTSURE FIRST WE MUST FIRST PUT OUR DIFFERENCES ASIDE WE LAY DOWN OUR ARMS TIL 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 GREWE THAT EVEN AS WE HURT WE HOPED THAT EVEN AS WE TIRED WE TRIE THAT WILL FOREVER BE TIED TOGETHER VICTORIOUS NOT BECAUSE WE WILL NEVER AGAIN KNO DEFEAT BUT BECAUSE WE WILL N
EVER AGAIN SO DIVISION SKIPSER TELLS US TO INVISION THAT EVERYONE SHALL SIT UNDER THE OWN VINE AND FIG TREE AND NO ONE SHALL MAKE THEM AFRAID IF WE'RE TO LIVE UP TO OUR OWN TIME THAN VICTORY WON'T LIE IN THE BLADE BUT IN ALL THE BRIDGES WE'VE MADE THAT IS THE PROMISE TO GLADE THE HILL WE CLIME 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 RE
HAR IT WE'VE SEEN A FOREST THAT WOULD SHATTER OR NATION RATHER THAN SHARE IT WELD DESTROY OUR COUNTRY IF IT MEANT DELAYING DEMOCRACY AND THIS EFFORT VERY NEARLY SUCCEEDED BUT WHILE DEMOCRACY CAN BE PERIODICALLY DELAYED IT CAN NEVER BE PERMANENTLY DEFEATED IN THIS TRUTH IN THIS FAITH WE TRUST FOR WHILE WE HAVE OUR EYES ON THE FUTURE OR HISTORY HAS ITS EYES ON US THIS IS THE ERA OF JUST REDEMPTION WE FEARED A
CEPTION WE DID NOT FEEL PREPARED TO BE THE EIRS OF SUCH A TERRIFYING 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 BE
VOLENCE 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 MIGHT THEN LOVE BECOMES OUR LEGACY IN CHANGE OUR CHILDREN'S BIRTHRIGHT SO LET US LEAVE BEHIND A COUNTRY
BETTER THAN ONE WE WERE LEFT WITH EVERY BREATH FROM OUR BRONZE POUNDED CHEST WE WILL RAISE THIS WOUNDED WORLD INTO A WONDROUS ONE WE WILL RISE FROM THE GOLDLIMD HILLS OF THE WEST WE WILL RISE FROM THE WIND SWEPT NORTHEAST WHERE OUR FORFATHER'S FIRST REALISE REVOLUTION WE WILL RISE FROM THE LAKE RIMD CITIES OF THE MIDWESTERN STATES WE WILL RISE FROM THE SUNBAKED SOUTH WE WILL REBUILD RECONCILE AND BECOVER AND EVERY KNOWN NOOK OF OUR NATION IN EVERY CORNER CALLED OUR COUNTRY OUR PEOPLE DIVERSE AND BEAUTIFUL WILL EMMERGE BATTERED
AND BEAUTIFUL WHEN DAY COMES WE STEP OUT OF THE SHADE AFLAME AND UNAFRAID THE NEW DAWN BALLOONS AS WE FREE IT FOR THERE WAS ALWAYS LIGHT IF ONLY WERE BRAVE ENOUGH TO SEE IT IF ONLY WERE BRAVE ENOUGH TO BE IT