EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL. (AP) -- In East St. Louis, a largely black city that's among the nation's poorest, public schools were closed for the day in homage to Obama's inauguration and his place in history.
At the stately, brick St. Luke A.M.E. Church, pastor Derek Bastian and fellow congregants Byron Jenkins and Antoine Crowell watched in rapt attention as Obama was sworn in as the 44th U.S. president.
Bastian then happily clapped as footage showed cannons punctuating the moment.
Two days ago, Bastian told his congregation that Obama's meteoric rise to the nation's most powerful office reflected a sense of renewed hope.
Crowell called Obama's election a "sign of significant change."
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