For the second time in U.S. history, a person who identifies as Black will be in one of the most powerful positions in the White House — the 44th president Barack Obama, who is biracial, was inducted in 2009.
Now, Kamala Harris is breaking all sorts of records, becoming the first person of African American and South Asian descent and the first woman to become the vice president of the United States during the groundbreaking inauguration held on Wednesday. Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina woman to become the U.S. Supreme Court Justice, swore in Harris, who donned a purplish blue dress with a matching long coat and pearl necklace.
Politician and lifetime educator Shirley Chisholm would be the first Black woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination as she attempted to take the presidential seat in the 1972 elections. Almost 50 years later, Harris, the former U.S. senator of California is determined to restore hope in America, whilst helping Biden navigate the pandemic, current social climate and economic downturn.
Obama and Harris’ historic roles in the White House make up only .02% of Black representation — with 88 sworn-in individuals holding those roles identifying as White.
A candid photo taken by Jonathan Ernst of Reuters went viral showing Harris and Obama sharing a moment and a fist bump as they prepared for the inauguration. After the swearing in, east coast HBCU Howard University led her vehicle through the inauguration parade moments before she took her inspiring walk to the White House.
One day after the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, the imagery of the two Black leaders marks a significant turning of the tide for Americans, who have for so long sacrificed for change.
