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Faith

Obama’s Inaugural Invocation Pick Breaks With 200+ Years of American Tradition

Jan. 8, 2013 12:35pm Billy Hallowell

President Barack Obama has selected Myrlie Evers-Williams to deliver the invocation at his public swearing-in on Jan. 21. Evers-Williams is the wife of Medgar Evers — a civil rights icon who was murdered in 1963. According to The Washington Post, it is apparently the first time that a woman has been selected to deliver the coveted prayer.

Additionally, it is also purportedly the first time that someone who is not an official clergy person has been chosen for the presidential invocation, which is slated to be delivered at the beginning of the event.

Obama Selects Myrlie Evers Williams Pastor Louie Giglio for Inauguration

Myrlie Evers-Williams (Photo Credit: AP)

Biography.com has more about Evers-Williams’ background:

After her husband’s murder, Evers-Williams fought hard to see his killer brought to justice. Although [his killer, a white supremacist named Byron De La Beckwith] was arrested and brought to trial on murder charges, two all-white juries could not reach a verdict in the case. It would take approximately 30 years for justice to be served, with Williams-Evers keeping the case alive and pushing for Beckwith to pay for his crime. Her efforts were not in vain. In the early 1990s, Beckwith was again arrested and later convicted by a multi-racial jury.

Besides her quest for justice, Evers-Williams rebuilt her life after her husband’s death. She moved with her children to California and emerged as a civil rights activist in her own right. Evers-Williams spoke on behalf of the NAACP and wrote For Us, the Living, which chronicled her late husband’s life and work in 1967. She also made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Congress in 1970.

President Barack Obama speaks during an event in the East Room of the White House January 7, 2013 in Washington, DC. Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

In addition to the aforementioned information about her life, Evers-Williams’ has led a successful career as a writer and activist, starting her own organization, the Medgar Evers Institute, and working diligently to keep her husband’s memory alive (read more about her here).

In an official statement put out by Obama’s Presidential Inaugural Committee, she expressed her excitement in being asked to be a part of the festivities. “It is indeed an exhilarating experience to have the distinct honor of representing” [the civil rights era at the event],” she is quoted as saying.

Pastor Louie Giglio (Photo Credit: 268Generation.com)

The activist will be joined at the public ceremony by conservative evangelical Louie Giglio, the founder of the popular Passion conferences and the pastor at Atlanta’s Passion City Church. While it may seem odd that Obama has selected someone who is described as right-of-center, theologically-speaking, the Post has more about the reasons for the faith leader’s inclusion:

An inaugural official said Giglio was picked for the benediction in part because of his work raising awareness about modern-day slavery and human trafficking. Those were core issues at his most recent conference, Passion 2013, attended by more than 60,000 mostly young evangelicals in Atlanta.

“During these days it is essential for our nation to stand together as one,” Giglio said in a statement. “And, as always, it is the right time to humble ourselves before our Maker.”

In 2008, Obama selected Rick Warren, the popular pastor who penned, “The Purpose-Driven Life,” to deliver the invocation. This, too, struck some as an odd choice, particularly considering that Warren opposes gay marriage. His inclusion was seen as an affront to gay activists and progressives at the time.

The move to include both Evers-Williams and Giglio this year is seen by some as an effort to bridge divides. Considering the administration’s continued battle with conservative religious groups over the contraceptive mandate, among other policy stances, it’s quite possible that the selection was made in an effort to bring all parties to the table.

(H/T: Washington Post)

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Comments (336)

lassiegirldawn
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 4:56pm
To have a pastor or anyone connected to Christianity in this capacity would totally be against his muslim faith. He has to have her just to look like he is something of the Christian Faith.

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Sharon Rose
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 4:50pm
Nothing about this man seems right or normal!

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StopAttackingBirthersGlen
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 4:44pm
top contributor: 1. cut back on the wanking 2. Stop posting here, you lower the IQ of the readers.

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JB4JS
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 4:42pm
Well, of course!! Stay watchful, folks.

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SidneyDave
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 4:30pm
What, no Muslim cleric or Atheist?

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i have black immunity
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 4:30pm
Malik Zulu Shabazz, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Jeremiah Alvesta Wright, Jr., and Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. are all part of Obama’s program to integrate the whites into the black community that continues to live in the past.

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Joyzee
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 4:28pm
Go ahead follow your False leader! you Dopes

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nonofmybiznez
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 4:15pm
This is a non-story.

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pahrumper
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 4:13pm
America broke with tradition when we elected a Muslim that did not qualify to be the Presidnet of the USA, thanks to CBS, NBC,ABC, MSNBC, And the others owned and operated by Soros the pupet master (Obummer is the puppet)

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65Mustang
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 4:07pm
This SOB thinks of himself as GOD so the ba****d will do whatever the hell he wants to do…give the citizens the finger.

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judyaz
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 3:46pm
Obama was not reared in the deep South, but in Hawaii and the Philippines, I understand. His father taught him Communism when he lived with him in his impressionable teens in Hawaii. All he heard was hate rhetoric espoused by a Communist for promote Communist means toward a Communist end. He has no firsthand experience of the prejudice that was before the 60′s there, which has since been changed. Now was he alive in Lincoln’s time. Our nation is a much better nation now. I hope we are wise enough not to be misled by an agenda quite different than the Black issues in truth. In the 60s, the Communists were infiltrating and indoctrinating radical college youths. You can see how well that went, now that they’re all grown up. But I truly hope our Black U.S. citizens can see through this, unlike many college kids of the 60s. It’s not about hate and overthrowing authority figures. That is the Communist scheme.

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- judyaz
  Posted on January 8, 2013 at 3:53pm
  I meant Indonesia. But my real concern is for America Blacks who’ve had far too many people try to take advantage of them all these years. The Communists always try to manipulate the minorities first, those who might feel downtrodden, as they did in South America, Central America, and just about anyplace they try to take over. They appeal to those who might be vulnerable. Can’t we see?
  
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- Spqr1
  Posted on January 8, 2013 at 4:23pm
  Many swings and many misses. Do you get your information off the back of sugar packets?
  
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- Git-R-Done
  Posted on January 8, 2013 at 9:03pm
  SPQ – Don’t be upset that Judyaz is telling the truth about your precious Obama.
  
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Liberty2011
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 3:46pm
What??? he didn’t ask Cardinal Dolan?

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HigherRoad
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 3:38pm
I am sorry for the loss that Myrlie Evers-Williams suffered; however, her husband died in 1963. The issues he fought against are not those of today–although Obama has done his best to make them so. Obviously Ms. Evers-Williams is going to come to the inauguration with an agenda. Obama is using her to stir up more racial hate and suspicion among those who were not even born when Medgar Evers was killed. Perhaps Ms. Evers-Williams’ prayers should be directed toward the Middle East where civil rights are non-existent–thanks in part to Obama and his Muslim “brotherhood.”

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avlmac
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 3:32pm
I think the prayer should be about Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication to God — not about the person offering the prayer.

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JetAnders
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 3:17pm
As long as it is a prayer rather than an opportunity to spew a message I’m fine with her praying. And I like the fact that the prayer will be given woman, i think it is great.

A prayer should be an opportunity to adjust ourselves to match God’s will. Not to direct God to Obama’s will.

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truthnstuff
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 3:13pm
And the destruction of our society continues. Seig alah Heil!

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toiletclogga
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 3:09pm
You don’t have to be clergy to pray. If Ms. Evers is faithful, and her prayer is sincere, by all means, pray away. Maybe prayer is what the entire nation needs in order to rally us under one banner.

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Uechi
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 3:07pm
The words pandering and division come to mine.Straight from his Marxist mindset

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katzkiner
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 3:07pm
The corrosion that you see is the least of your worries. Brace yourself. Try not to stand there with your mouth open. Change has come America. You will not like it.

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Dushman Kush
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 3:04pm
Our Leader couldn’t have picked a more Noble person to deliver the Invocation. Back in the early sixties, my father gave me to read MASTERS OF DECEIT and NONE DARE CALL IT TREASON. Both books portrayed Communism and Socialism as Evil. I’ve watched the Marxists and Maoists guiding the young in schools and in churches. I am a Watcher. I’ll look forward to viewing our Leader’s inauguration on LinkTV with some other Comrades. Long Live the Communist International !!!

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krod2516
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 3:01pm
don’t really care about white on black racism anymore. Its a rare event, unlike black on white racism. All this white guilt makes me sick. Sucks what happened, but after 10 attempts of rape by black men. gangs of black women attacking me, so many attempts of bulling i cant even count them, i could care a less.

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- katzkiner
  Posted on January 8, 2013 at 3:15pm
  The numbers of women who feel like you are legion. The truth is not PC or pretty. I worked in an 80% black workforce for 41 years. They hate us, always have hated us, always will hate us. Now they have the power to freely expess that hate. It is UGLY.
  
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LameLiberals
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 2:54pm
I will never consider Obama my president. If we were on a ship together and it was sinking and I was forced to save Korean rapper PSY or Obama – I would save PSY. I would save SHY over saving any of Obamas including his daughters or his fat fugly wife Michelle. If I were on shore and watching a ship sink with Obama on it, i would not call 911 but would walk away and not say a word.

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Margyt
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 2:47pm
I think they are good choices. Now, I wonder why neither of them is named Abullah or professes Atheism.

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vaman
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 2:46pm
The typical Beckerhead…

civilwarcometh
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 1:49pm
I don’t want to hear the sound of his voice ever again. I can’t stand him. The next time i have to look at him i hope it’s with a tree and rope.

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antena
Posted on January 8, 2013 at 2:46pm
Tradition means nothing to these people.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/jan/08/ut-marching-band-not-invited-to-obama/

Or could it just be that we are a Red state with a Republican Governor? Humpf.

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