Light the World

By Connor Koppin

Set to words from the Inaugural Addresses of Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Barack Obama, and John F. Kennedy, “Light the World” highlights parts of each address that may not be the most remembered but express that which every generation has come to know, an American spirit of hope and promise, no matter the current struggles of the country. FDR was elected four years into the Great Depression, Obama the Great Recession and JFK at the start and height of the Cold War, each facing their own set of challenges but believing in the resilience of the country and the citizens it is made up of. 

Now 250 years into this experiment called democracy and since the words written in the Declaration of Independence in 1776, where we stated that “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” and then the Constitution also starting with the word “We…”, makes the words of each President that more possible. The country continues to struggle with its past and the words of each President reflect that sentiment but also how if we all come together, the future can be one that is more equitable, accessible and belonging to everyone.