By Emma Diamond
On January 20th, 2021, the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden, and the first female Vice President, Kamala Harris, were sworn into office. Shortly before noon, Kamala Harris took the oath of office in a ceremony administered by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. This pairing was intentional and significant; both women made history in their achievements. Sotomayor is the first Latina woman to serve on the Supreme Court and Harris is the first woman, as well as the first woman of African American and south Asian descent, to hold the position of Vice President. Harris took her oath with her hand on a bible that previously belonged to the civil rights activist and Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall. This was another symbol of progress, specifically relating to racial equality. Subsequently, Joe Biden, with his hand on a bible that has been in his family for 128 years, was sworn in as President by Chief Justice John Roberts. After this ceremony, Biden made his first official speech as President. He reinforced a message that had been prevalent throughout his campaign, urging Americans to come together to begin healing the divisions that are prevalent in the country.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other aspects of this unprecedented time, Biden’s inauguration was very different from previous ones. Usually, inaugurations are attended by hundreds of thousands of people. However, in response to the global pandemic and the recent violent attack on the United States Capitol, attendance was significantly restricted this year. All attendees were required to wear masks and most seats were six feet apart. Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton all attended the ceremonies. Former President Jimmy Carter was unable to attend because of his age. Noticeably absent was immediate past President Donald Trump. However, his Vice President Mike Pence was in attendance. In addition, the in-person component of the inaugural parade was shorter than usual. It featured the drumlines of the University of Delaware and Howard University, the respective alma maters of President Biden and Vice President Harris. Furthermore, the usual inaugural ball was completely virtual this year. It was hosted by Tom Hanks and featured many performances by musical artists including Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Levato, and John Legend. The night ended with Katy Perry singing her hit song Firework while an actual firework show colored the sky of our nation’s capital.
While many rituals were affected by the unprecedented times, others were carried out in their traditional manner. Punctuating the ceremony were live performances by celebrities. Lady Gaga took the stage to perform the national anthem and Jennifer Lopez sang a medley of “This Land Is Your Land” and “America the Beautiful”. Also in the lineup, reciting her poem, was 22 year old youth poet laureate, Amanda Gorman. She was the first Woman of Color to recite a poem at a Presidential inauguration. Gorman, in a podcast released a few days before the inauguration, revealed that she had struggled with a speech impediment throughout her childhood. This gave her a clear connection to President Biden, who struggled with a stutter throughout his life, and made her story even more inspiring.
Given the challenges of the last year, this transfer of power represents hope for the future of the United States of America.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/20/kamala-harris-sworn-in-vice-president
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/20/us/biden-inauguration
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/20/us/politics/trump-inauguration-crowd.html