D.C. Councilman Marion Barry, one of this city's most enduring political figures and a man who started his career as a civil rights worker in the South, said Monday that President Obama's inauguration prompted him to recall his past.

Barry said the day was "nothing but joy and pleasure," but he also said he was remembering "the pain that a lot of us went through to register some black folks in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and everywhere in the South."

Barry said that he was looking forward to Obama's second term in the White House and that he felt America's resounding vote to re-elect Obama was especially significant.

"The last four years were really historic for some of us who fought so hard," Barry said. "But this year is even more so with his re-election."

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The city's only four-term mayor said his favorite part of Inauguration Day is the swearing-in ceremony, particularly the end of the oath of office, the spot where many presidents have chosen to add the words "so help me God" to their vows.

"That just demonstrates the power of God," Barry said.

ablinder@washingtonexaminer.com