Obama’s emotional goodbye

After 8 years of a remarkable leadership, Barack Obama is now calling it a quit, with an fearful warning about the state of American democracy.

In his last speech, Obama said, “If we don’t create opportunity for all people, the disaffection and division that has stalled our progress will only sharpen in years to come."

The African American communities criticized Obama for not addressing race issues in the country during his time in office. But in his speech, Mr. Obama warned of racism as a poison of democracy. He called on African Americans and other minorities to tie their " own struggles for justice" to the challenges that a lot of people in this country face – including the middle-aged white man who "may seem like he’s got all the advantages, but who’s seen his world upended by economic, cultural, and technological change".

And he called on white Americans to acknowledge that "the effects of slavery and Jim Crow didn’t suddenly vanish in the ‘60s".

Obama further tried to give a passing reference to the next president, saying that, he would soon be replaced by the Republican. The crowd then began to boo.

"No, no, no, no, no," Obama said. One of the nation's great strengths, he said, "is the peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next."

Mr Obama became emotional as he prepared to pass the baton of the country he loved to a man whom he does not trust. He became urgent, a tear in his eye, as he talked of needing to "guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are".

He further paid tribute to the sacrifices his family-wife and daughters, made, when they entered the big white home on Pennsylvania Avenue. He went on praising first lady Michelle Obama, saying, “with grace and grit and style and good humor" and for making the White House "a place that belongs to everybody.”

Before stepping back from the stage, Mr Obama seemed to be passing on the stewardship of America to the nation’s people, instead of Mr. Trump.

“It falls to each of us to be those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy,” he said. "Because for all our outward differences, we all share the same proud title: Citizen."

"Ultimately, that’s what our democracy demands. It needs you."

The president concluded by saying he remained hopeful about the work that a younger generation would do. "Yes we can," he said. "Yes we did."