Equality among all Americans is a theme displayed in the 2013 inaugural speech. At the beginning of the speech, the President of the United States says “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights” (Obama). Obama was opening his speech with the first line of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. “All men are created equal” is what defines The United States of America, and what differs them from anywhere else in the world during the revolution. The theme of equality is also displayed when the President mentions that “when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal” (Obama). President Obama points at the struggle of African Americans for equal right, since the inauguration took place on Martin Luther King Day. Obama assures that any American, has the same chance to succeed as anyone else. These are some of the ways the theme of equality is displayed in the inaugural speech.
Additionally, the theme of equality is displayed in President Obama’s inaugural speech when he is analyzing contemporary American issues. The President points out that “[Americans] journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts” (Obama). A study conducted by the Institute for Women's Policy Research shows, “In 2011, female full-time workers made only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men” (Pay) . Another way the theme of equality is displayed is when he states that “every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity” (Obama). Needs such as health care and a livable environment are not only for the wealthy and middle class, but for all Americans. The examples above are how the theme of equality is displayed in President Obama’s Inaugural Speech.