Originally published on Youthradio.org, the premier source for youth generated news throughout the globe.
President Barack Obama's inauguration is both a historic turning-point in politics and intricately planned piece of entertainment. But not all the Obama-inspired performances over the last few days made it to the stage or screen. Here Youth Radio pulls together a few behind-the-scenes highlights from the intersection of art and politics.
1. There was King Anyi Howell's encounter with Heroes' star Hayden Panettiere on the red carpet of the Declare Yourself inaugural ball. Anyi was reporting for Youth Radio with MTV. He ran into all sorts of bold faced names--John Legend, Jamie Foxx, Maroon 5--while working the party circuit, but based on Panettiere's facial expressions (pay special attention to the eyebrows), this was not your typical celebrity interview.
2. When King Anyi wasn't interviewing A-listers, he was on the look-out for folks off the red carpet who brought their own artistry to this historic event. Like this group of people so happy to be in DC, they had to sing...
3. Finally, while many of us were tucked into bed on inauguration eve, the teenagers of the Latin American Youth Center in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of DC were having a sleep over--an Obama Pajama Party, to be exact. A dozen young people--ranging in age from 13 to 18--ate pizza, played inauguration trivia games, and created their own lyrics to capture the spirit of the moment. And of course, as young media makers, they made an overnight video--before heading out at 7:30 am to claim their spot underneath the Washington Monument, with a clear view of that giant screen.
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