Too young to grasp the historical weight of Barack Obama’s hand resting on Abraham Lincoln’s Bible, Ayahna Cryer’s 6-year-old twins might not remember specific details from Tuesday’s inauguration as they get older.
But in the years ahead, Amani and Armere’s mother will tell them how they sat with her in the multipurpose room of Oakland’s Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School and watched the world shift as Obama raised his right hand.
“Going to school, they learn a lot about the time that we weren’t allowed to vote, that we wouldn’t be allowed to do anything,” said Cryer, who is African American. “I’m going to watch it with my children because I want them to know with hard work and dedication that you can do anything you want to do.”
She said she now dreams of her son and daughter making it to the White House.
Other parents across the Bay Area expressed similar sentiments this week, saying this is a man-on-the-moon moment they feel compelled to share with their children. It is a gift of opportunity to the future, and they want to be there when it’s bestowed.
