Rev. Milford Griner, 51, remembers where he was April 4, 1968.
Griner, then a 10-year-old boy, was watching television with his family when a news blurb announced the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
As the details of King's death drifted from the TV set, tears rolled down his parents' faces. A somber mood overtook them.
"It was a quiet, eerie time," he recalled.
Griner, now the pastor of Hall Chapel United Methodist Church in Gainesville, is one of many black Americans remembering King's life as the country begins a new era with President Barack Obama's inauguration.
Obama's election shows how far black Americans and the country have come since the civil rights movement, he said.
This is history in the making for America, Griner said.
"I'm filled with pride not just as a black American but also as an American," he said.
This enthusiasm for a new America is contagious, as Obama continues to spread his message of change throughout Alachua County, the country and the world.
Christy Durr, 56, said it's been a long time coming.
For Durr, Obama's Inauguration is the fruit of hard work. She volunteered with the Obama campaign during the election.
"I couldn't just sit back here and do nothing and expect change," she said.
Durr never doubted Obama's ability to win because his message transcended racial boundaries. He talked about a common ground to bring all Americans together.
"He reminded us that this country isn't a red America, or a blue America, or a white America or black America, but the United States of America," Durr said.
Still, Obama's inauguration does not signal an end to the country's problems. The work to unite this country and heal its wounds has just begun, Durr said.
His to-do list includes working with Congress to implement an economic stimulus plan. He must also build trust between the U.S. and other countries and lead those who doubt his ability.
"He can't cash in on our differences," Durr said.
Some believe racism will not end when Obama puts his right hand on Abraham Lincoln's bible and takes the oath of office.
Martha Danzy, 54, thinks the election of Obama doesn't signify the end of racism.
"Not by a long shot," said Danzy, hugging her 9-year-old granddaughter, Shamariya, to her chest. "It's definitely not over."
Danzy stood with her granddaughter as they listened to the words of "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," the black national anthem, at downtown Gainesville's Martin Luther King Jr. Day festivities.
She said not everyone is going to accept a black man as president, but Obama's presidency breaks racial barriers.
Racism is still alive for Takiana Carter, 17, a Santa Fe High School junior. During the campaign, the school held mock presidential elections. The result, in favor of Sen. John McCain, divided the school by race.
On Nov. 4, black and white students avoided each other. The day after Obama won, a white student brought a gun and a Confederate flag to school.
"I was nervous. Scared," Carter said. "I didn't know what was going to happen. I thought someone was going to shoot us."
Race is still an issue, but Obama gives people hope, just as King did, Durr said. Obama exemplifies King's belief that Americans who work together for a more perfect union can transform society.
"Obama brings this promise to reality by uniting people and reminding them that change is within us," she said.
