The inauguration for the 46th President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden Jr., and the Vice President, Kamala Harris, was held in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021.
In attendance of the socially distanced and masked ceremony was the former presidents and their wives, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush and Laura Bush, and former Vice President Mike Pence and Karen Pence. The 45th President, Donald J. Trump, was not in attendance at the ceremony, but left a note for the President-elect in the oval office.
Overall, the inauguration felt hopeful and optimistic despite this transfer of power taking place during such a trivial time in American history, where a looming pandemic and extreme political divide are immediate threats. Despite this, each speaker and performer displayed their confidence in this new administration and the turning of a new leaf for the country.
United States Senator Amy Klobuchar provided opening remarks for the ceremony. She spoke on the terrible Capitol Hill attacks that occurred just two weeks prior and how such a historic moment it is to be swearing into office the very first woman Vice President, Kamala Harris.
With any televised event as big as a presidential inauguration, there was no shortage of celebrity sightings and performances. Lady Gaga performed an operatic version of the National Anthem, and Jennifer Lopez performed a heartfelt rendition of “This Land Is Your Land” with a Spanish twist towards the end. Country music star, Garth Brooks, also attended and performed “Amazing Grace.” Every performance was classy and very fitting for the occasion.
During his first address as President, Joe Biden talked about how this day was a historical day as it is a celebration of democracy stating, “Democracy is precious. Democracy is fragile. At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.” Biden went on to discuss the hardships that many people in the nation are dealing with, such as unemployment, closed businesses, Covid-19, and other challenges, but reassuring in a calm manner that unity is how we will overcome these challenges.
Biden recited a quote from the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, stating that “My whole soul is in this, bringing America together, uniting our people, uniting our nation, and I ask every American to join me in this cause.” He goes on to say, “Without unity, there is no peace. Only bitterness and fury.”
Overall, Biden’s address was emotional and full empathy for the American people, as well as hope for a new era for unity as a nation.
Probably the most discussed segment of the inauguration was the poem recited by Amanda Gorman. She says America is a place “Where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president only to find herself reciting for one.” She continues, “It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit, it’s the past we step into and how we repair it.”
Gorman’s poem not only displayed the country’s flaws, but presented the hope and progress that this country has made and how far America has come to repair itself. Although America still has its faults, change can come “if only we’re brave enough to be it.”
In all, the inauguration for the 46th President, Joe Biden, was definitely one to remember for a number of reasons that include the distanced seating and masked audience, and most of all, the uncertainty the country currently foresees. However, having a dose of healthy optimism moving forward with this administration and embracing unity is absolutely essential.
