President-elect Barack Obama will welcome Americans to his inauguration at the memorial to his political hero, Abraham Lincoln.
The Lincoln Memorial is heavy with symbolism for Mr. Obama, who will arrive on its steps Jan. 18 following a train ride that traces Lincoln’s inaugural path from Philadelphia to Washington.
The memorial also is where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, and the event comes a day before the nation celebrates the King holiday Jan. 19. The inauguration is Jan. 20.
“It is one of the great, patriotic symbols of our country,” Presidential Inaugural Committee spokeswoman Linda Douglass said Friday. “It’s a symbol of the American spirit; it’s a symbol of unity; it’s a symbol of our values. So for all those reasons it’s an appropriate place to celebrate an inauguration that is really built around celebrating our common values as a people.”
President Clinton and President Bush also used the Lincoln Memorial for inaugural events, but the building may have more resonance for Mr. Obama. When construction was completed in 1922, the crowd gathered at its dedication was largely segregated.
The welcome event will be free and open to the public.
The King holiday will be devoted to a call to service, with Mr. Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. volunteering in the Washington area.
After the first of the year, the inaugural committee will launch a Web site that allows organizations to post volunteer opportunities for that day so Americans can find opportunities to serve.
“We hope that site is really going to result in a very spirited call to service and engagement around the country,” Ms. Douglass said.
There will be a free youth concert at the Verizon Center on Jan. 19, the night before the inauguration. Tickets will be required, but the committee has not yet determined how they would be distributed.
Earlier in the week, the committee released details of the inauguration, including performances by Aretha Franklin and Yo-Yo Ma and a prayer from the Rev. Rick Warren, a choice that has prompted outrage from gay rights groups.
More than 1 million visitors are expected to be on hand when Mr. Obama takes the noontime oath.
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