Detroit (WWJ) -- People in Detroit and across Michigan gathered at museums, schools, businesses and other places to watch Barack Obama take the oath of office and become America's 44th president.
At The Henry Ford in Dearborn, a couple hundreds students and other people cheered as soon as they saw President Obama standing in the wings before taking the oath and immediately after Mr. Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. Many students told WWJ's Beth Fisher Obama gives them hope for the future. They watched the inauguration near the Rosa Parks bus.
At the student center at Wayne State University, about 250 students clapped and cheered when Obama was sworn in and talked about investing in the sciences and colleges. One man who wiped tears from his eyes told WWJ's Stephanie Davis this proves "anything is possible."
It was standing room only as hundreds of people watched the inauguration at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in downtown Detroit.
WWJ's Vickie Thomas reports people cheered and cried when Obama took the oath of office.
LaTonya Kern kept her two children out of school so they could watch history. "This is something they had to experience, this is more important than sitting in a math class," Kern said. "Just to know the dream is real, just to know that this is a chance, it's real for my children for their children...I always tell them you can be whatever you want to be."
Another student who voted for the first time and voted for Obama, cried during the inauguration. "I never would've thought in a million years that he would've made the president," Shanae Washington said.
Those gathered to watch the ceremony on a large screen at Lansing Community College broke out in loud cheers and whistles when Obama took the oath. Some audience members hugged, and one woman wiped away tears.
Chief Justice John Roberts swore in Obama just after noon.
Ahead of the swearing-in, Michigan resident Aretha Franklin treated the thousands in attendance to a rendition of ``My Country 'Tis of Thee.''
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