As I write this, I am also finishing watching the presidential inauguration. Many things are going through my mind. My first thought deals with a passion of mine – the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

I have, and do, portray William Clark in films and various programs and talks. York, who was Clark’s personal servant as the two grew up, accompanied Clark on the expedition to the Pacific Ocean and back. After they returned, York asked to be allowed to visit and stay with his wife in Louisville, Ky., as Clark had taken up residence in St. Louis, Mo. York also asked for his freedom, since he had served Clark and his country very well during the entire duration of the trip.

Clark denied York’s request and threatened to send him to a master who would whip him and treat him as other slaves are treated if he persisted in this matter. Eventually Clark did free York, but after much pleading.

Can you imagine what slaves such as York would be thinking if they were living today? I picture York pumping his fists and thanking his Lord that the day finally arrived to have such an intelligent African-American man taking the oath for the Oval Office.

My second thought is of my good friend Joe Bradford, who portrayed York in a film we did for PBS called Searching for York. The final day of filming, I learned that Bradford, who is in the U.S. Army, had achieved and received the rank of captain.

This truly struck me. Bradford was portraying a slave who had to beg for his freedom from a man who was never truly given the rank of captain while he was alive. The men in the expedition never knew this. Now, more than 200 years later, we have sworn in a man of African-American ancestry.

My final thought also has to do with the inauguration. Although, this one was in 1840, and is about the meaning of the term “OK.” The following comes from a book titled, Dictionary of Word Origins: A History of the Words, Expressions, and Clichés We Use, by Jordan Almond.

“From the presidential election of 1840. The Democratic candidate, Martin Van Buren, was nicknamed ‘The Wizard of Kinderhook’ – after ‘Old Kinderhook,’ the Hudson Valley village in which he had been born.

“In reference to this village and Van Buren’s nickname, one of the Democratic groups formed to support him in New York City called itself ‘The Democratic O.K. Club.’ Other supporters of Van Buren in New York picked up the term ‘O.K.’ as a sort of slogan, and Democratic rowdies used it as their war cry in their attempts to break up meetings of Whigs.

“The phrase caught on generally and soon established itself as synonymous with the feeling of the original club members that they and their candidates were ‘all right.'”

No matter what side of the political fence you might be on, I hope that you see this as an “OK” day, and that in the words so often penned by Lewis and Clark “We proceed on.”

Tom Wilson

Astoria