If one wishes to see a sign of the transformations throughout the history of the Unites States of America, look no further than the inauguration of past presidents.

On the eve of the Roaring Twenties, Warren Harding became the first president to ride in a car at his inauguration in 1921. When Calvin Coolidge placed his hand on the Bible in 1925, his oath of office was broadcast on the radio for the first time. Harry Truman took it up a notch in 1949 with the first televised inauguration.

Although these three inaugural firsts mark the evolution of technology and its effect on daily life in this country, they pale in comparison to the political first this country’s citizens will witness on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 when Barack Obama stands in front of the U.S. Capitol and is sworn in as the 44th president and first black president of the United States of America.

Snapshots of our country’s embarrassments during its evolution of equality reveal how significant Obama’s presidency truly is.

Obama would have counted as only three-fifths of a man, according to the first draft of the Constitution that launched this democratic experiment we call America. The Chicago native’s race would have disqualified him from voting for his leaders, suing in a court of law, or holding the list of rights that accompany American citizenship, had he lived in the time of Dred Scott. The term “separate but equal” would have defined the future Commander in Chief’s life if he had been born before the U.S. Supreme Court delivered its historic Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Whether you supported Obama or not during the election, every American should stop and witness this historic step for our country. Democrats, Republicans, Independents, young, old, immigrants, natural born citizens and people from every background imaginable must not miss this moment that proves the American dream is alive and well.

But even if Obama had lost, the peaceful transition of power in this country exemplifies the authority our democracy has in the world. Unlike the death and chaos that go hand-in-hand with leadership changes in other parts of the world, when Obama was elected there was no uprising, no war, only the continuation of our great country’s existence.

Obama’s supporters faithfully believe their man has the ability to face the laundry list of challenges – a global financial crisis and two wars to name a few – his administration will immediately face. Whether he flies or fails, Obama always will have his spot in history and the promise of infinite possibilities for anyone from any race in America

Just like the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Neil Armstrong’s steps on the moon, the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. or the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, future generations of American children will ask their parents if they watched Obama’s inauguration.

Do not miss your opportunity to answer ‘yes.’