The 59th Inauguration Recap & Reflection: What a day!
February 4, 2021
A day filled with bursts of joy and sighs of relief, many Americans eagerly tuned in wherever they were to watch the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. This was a day consumed with new hope and a new beginning. It was a breath of fresh air after watching the news become consumed with negative political issues since the start of the new year. I am so grateful that we were given the opportunity to watch this event during class, as this is a monumental day that only occurs every four years. I was astonished and relieved to see the surroundings of Washington D.C. gathered in a sense of unity and peace, instead of the violence and hatred that emerged within the Capitol just two weeks prior. Despite witnessing the oath of office being the main event, the 2021 inauguration caught the attention of many Americans who were excited to watch the performances and special appearances. If you unfortunately missed the garnering of US citizens from all backgrounds at the inauguration, have no fear for this will be a reflection of the day in addition to an in-depth recap of what occurred on January 20, 2021.
Appearances
The livestreaming of the event commenced in the early morning, with Joe and Jill Biden, along with Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff, arriving at the Capitol. They were greeted with cheers and patriotic pride. Before they were inaugurated, many other significant figures were introduced at the inaugural platform, who would eventually settle into their seats. Former Presidents and First Ladies such as the Bushes, Clintons, and Obamas walked out onto the platform and were applauded by the audience. These three past presidents also collaborated to create a video congratulating Biden on his presidency, along with a reflection on how Joe Biden’s inauguration has affected them.
As people watched Donald Trump leave the White House at approximately 8 a.m., it was fairly obvious that he wouldn’t be physically present at the inauguration to hand over his presidential power. He now becomes the fourth US President in history to disrupt the tradition. It was to my surprise to see former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife walk out onto the platform and be seated next to Kamala Harris and her husband. I was relieved and proud to see that he was not influenced by Trump’s decision and that he was there to hand over the Vice Presidential power on the steps of the Capitol, as our tradition has been and should be done.
The Power of Purple
According to CNN, one paramount topic that citizens take seriously, other than the inauguration itself, is the fashion statements. When I saw Michelle Obama enter the inaugural platform, I immediately texted a few friends about how much I adored her outfit, hoping some would agree. It didn’t take long for her outfit to circulate the internet and have everyone in awe. I sure am glad the internet agreed with me!
Besides Michelle’s outfit making a prominent statement, it was the color purple itself that took over the runway. The ensembles of purple worn by former First Ladies Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, and Vice President Kamala Harris had the nation wondering, “What does purple symbolize?”
Town & Country magazine shared that this color has multiple meanings, these being the primary thoughts:
-Color of Royalty: Since the United States was a product of British royalty (monarchy) and the colonial situation, it never had experienced their own form of royalty. The desire for that may be projected through the color purple.
-Purple Heart: The color purple represents “the badge of honor and bravery bestowed by the United States military on veterans wounded or killed in the line of duty.”
-A Call for Unity at a Time of Political Division: I see this perspective as what the obvious message of purple to be. Purple is the product of mixing red and blue together. These colors represent the Republican and Democratic party. Many viewed the plan for the color purple as a unique way to springboard off Biden’s inaugural address (to be discussed later!). “Unity” was his primary focal point of discussion.
Bernie Sanders
Of course, this recap cannot be an accurate one without mentioning the main fashion icon that was present in the audience: Bernie Sanders. If they haven’t seen it, one must be thinking, “Was he wearing a designer jacket of some sort that made him stand out among the crowd?” No, it was not his Burton jacket that appealed to the internet. It was his mittens! Along with his “grumpy old-man” pose (sitting with his legs and arms crossed), it was his brown accented mittens that captured the hearts of millions of Americans, along with starting a forest fire of hilarious memes. Whether it is an edited picture of him on the stage during “Cabinet Battle #1” from Broadway’s hit musical Hamilton or at a nail salon, Senator Sanders’ meme has definitely proved how creative people can be. Just as Judy Gold of CNN wrote, Bernie Sanders “has inadvertently provided us with something we have been robbed of for the past four years, good old fashioned laughter.”
The Pledge of Allegiance
The diversity of the United States shined so bright throughout the day, but I found this moment to be the most prominent. Fire Captain Andrea Hall, the first black woman to serve that position for the South Fulton County Fire Rescue (ABC News), not only led the Pledge of Allegiance, but signed it in ASL! This decision to sign enables the (approximately) 250,000-500,000 Americans who use sign language to be involved in the event. It showed that all Americans are noticed and appreciated.
Performances
Throughout the morning were a series of performances of a few famous singers who were obvious advocates for Biden-Harris during the election process back in November.
Lady Gaga was the first to perform, singing the National Anthem. As I was a huge Lady Gaga fan myself when I was younger, I adored this performance and thought she sang beautifully. However, some of my classmates got distracted from her performance, taking notice of her dress instead. Wearing a low-waisted poufy pink dress with a black top wasn’t the icing on the cake. Lady Gaga was also sporting a large gold bird brooch on her chest. Particularly, her outfit reminded me of Effie Trinket from the series, The Hunger Games, the character that wears a variety of exotic clothing. Just as how the color purple had a myriad of hidden meanings, the bird brooch did as well (some even reasoned that it had to do something with The Hunger Games since the bird resembled the “mockingjay” bird from the series).
Jennifer Lopez also performed, “This Land is Your Land” and “America the Beautiful.” With a familiar song and a familiar face, this performance was adored by many, especially the Hispanic community. In between songs, she addressed the nation in Spanish, stating the second half of the Pledge of Allegiance. I truly loved this moment, as Hispanics like myself can be so underrepresented everywhere in the US. Just like how Andrea Hall signed the pledge, this small moment in Spanish opened up a bridge to the 13% native Spanish speaking population and celebrated a new beginning in American politics. She also was able to slip in her hit song, “Let’s Get Loud” during her medley of songs, which lifted the spirits of many!
Country singer Garth Brooks also made an appearance, singing “Amazing Grace” with an a cappella rendition! While singing, he invited everyone watching from the crowd to sing along with him, which I believe is a sign of the unity that the United States is trying to get back. Though I have never listened to Garth Brooks sing before this event, I believe that this performance was an aspect of what made the inauguration what it was that day.
The Inauguration
At last, the moment finally arrived, where Kamala Harris and Joe Biden were sworn into office. Kamala Harris took the oath while holding two Bibles, one that belonged to the late Thurgood Marshall, a late civil rights activist and Supreme Court Justice, who assisted Harris in her career path. The second, smaller Bible belonged to a family friend who acted like a “second mother” to Harris and her sister. She was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, A.K.A. the first Latina to take that position (Latina power!).
Joe Biden was sworn in by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. at 11:49 a.m. “With his hand on a five-inch-thick Bible that has been in his family for 128 years” (NY Times). The focal point of the inauguration was now down in the books, as America finally reached the light at the end of the four year dark tunnel.
Joe Biden’s Inaugural Address
In his 21 minute speech, Joe Biden constructed the idea that unity is needed to help the country prevail. As he mentioned in his speech on January 6th that the storming of the Capitol revealed that democracy is fragile, today with his compelling words he stated that democracy prevails. Using repetition (thank you, text analysis essay!), he goes on to emphasize the idea that even though the United States has gone through a plethora of destructive events, no matter what occurs, the US still stands. Here is a small, but significant quote:
“Here we stand, in the shadow of a Capitol dome that was completed amid the Civil War, when the Union itself hung in the balance.
Yet we endured and we prevailed.
Here we stand looking out to the great Mall where Dr. King spoke of his dream.
Here we stand, where 108 years ago at another inaugural, thousands of protestors tried to block brave women from marching for the right to vote.
Today, we mark the swearing-in of the first woman in American history elected to national office – Vice President Kamala Harris.
Don’t tell me things can’t change.”
Poet Performs
Right after the inauguration of the vice president and president, Amanda Gordon took the stage as the first National Youth Poet Laureate. At 22 years old, she recited a captivating poem, “The Hill We Climb”, that highlights the love of the US. She makes several key points, nodding to the musical Hamilton and certain scriptures that were able to assist her words in the most intellectual method possible.
Throughout her poem, she focuses on the idea of how the violence and discrimination in America will not simply vanish, as it has its roots in our country’s history. However, she still pushes the idea that change is still possible, as it is better late than never. She also reinforces Biden’s hope for unity, for this new beginning will challenge Americans by “leaving behind a country better than the one we were left.” (CNN)
Biden’s First Day
Immediately after the Inauguration, Biden went to work on day 1 of his presidency. As part of his 100 day plan, Biden signed 17 executive actions, memorandums, and requests to certain companies and agencies relating to the pandemic, immigration, etc. Some of the most prominent actions were:
-The ending of the emergency wall declaration that Trump used to target money into building the US-Mexico border wall.
-Ending the travel ban from seven largely Muslim countries.
-Rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement.
-Extending eviction and foreclosure bans.
-Requiring masks on federal property.
-Reversing Trump’s census plan.
-Revoking the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.
Finale
That evening, according to The Verge, “At 8:30PM ET, the inauguration [was] followed by a television event hosted by Tom Hanks where other celebrities like Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato, and Jon Bon Jovi will perform.” It was an energetic way to end the day.
The pandemic and the storming of the Capitol on January 6th may have seemed as if the United States was going down the drain and the events of 2020 may seem interminable. Despite it, the atmosphere of the day was refreshing. Watching the minimal interaction of a fist bump between Barack Obama and Kamala Harris and how “Harris and Emhoff bid the Pences farewell outside the Capitol, while the two couples shared a laugh,” (CNN) gave me some insight on how the next four years will look under the Biden-Harris administration.
References:
https://www.rollcall.com/2021/01/20/photos-of-the-day-inauguration-2021/ (images)
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/20/politics/biden-inauguration-notable-moments/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/22/opinions/bernie-sanders-mittens-judy-gold/index.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/us/politics/biden-president.html
Ms. Parasmo • Feb 10, 2021 at 11:59 am
What a wonderful recap of an important day for our American democracy! I enjoyed reading your article, especially “the power of purple”.
Emily McLaughlin • Feb 4, 2021 at 8:11 pm
Such a thorough article!!! I loved it!