As Joseph R. Biden became the 46th president of the United States, there were already signs of progress.
Kamala Harris is the first Black, South Asian, and woman to be Vice President of the United States. Her husband is the first Second Gentleman. With the swearing in of Georgia’s Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff today into the Senate, Congress has turned blue with the first Jewish senator and the eleventh Black man in U.S. history to be in the Senate.
A simple look at Biden’s cabinet reveals a diverse pool of people. With almost an equal number of men and women, “It’s the first time America has seen so many women in the top ranks of a presidential administration,” according to CNN. The number of backgrounds represented is groundbreaking as well, with Hispanic, Small Business Administrator Isabel Guzman to Native American, Sec. of the Interior Deb Haaland, to Asian, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to Black, Sec. of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge, voices included in the selection.
Biden also seeks to use his executive orders from day one in office to overturn previous ones done by Trump. In recent speeches, he has stated that he will have the U.S. rejoin the Paris climate accords, which are deals between countries to combat climate change. He says he will also have the nation reenter the Iran nuclear deal. As he enters the White House, the Muslim travel ban and the wall Trump promised to build will be gone as well, according to The Guardian.
In terms of the pandemic, Biden announced a $1.9 billion plan to increase vaccinations, stimulate the economy, and help people financially and medically struggling because of the coronavirus. Worries of evictions and foreclosures will fade away as he seeks to pause them.
“These actions will change the course of COVID-19, combat climate change, promote racial equity and support other underserved communities, and rebuild our economy in ways that strengthen the backbone of this country: the working men and women who built our nation,” the incoming White House chief of staff, Ron Klain, said.
With all of these promises and talks of healing the nation, Jan. 20 was not a day solely soaked in excitement. Biden made it clear on Jan. 19th that he has not forgotten the time in which he is taking over as president. During his televised national COVID-19 memorial, he took what seems to be the first moment to acknowledged the pain the nation has faced. As “Amazing Grace” was sung by Lori Marie Key, a Michigan nurse who became famous online for singing that very song to get through her grueling workday, attention was not on Biden, but rather on the 400,000 that died due to the pandemic. Unfortunately that death toll continues to rise, but with his promised plan to help fight COVID-19, Biden gives what has been missing since the start of the pandemic: solace.
As a man with a tragic history himself, he chooses to be optimistic for brighter days ahead, while remaining empathetic to those who have lost what can never be replaced. Standing outside the Lincoln Memorial and in front of the Reflection Pool, he reflected himself, saying,
“To heal, we must remember.”
In fact, as Biden stood speaking and comforting the nation, I was reminded of two images. One was of Saturday Night Live’s portrayal of Biden as a Mr. Rogers, in a signature red sweater, speaking as Alex Moffat, playing Eric Trump, sat with a blanket and milk and a childlike wonder. The second image came to me when Biden spoke in Delaware and became emotional talking about his late son, Major Beau Biden as well as his own love for Delaware. The tears to me were shocking, because the last time I had seen a president get emotional like that was with Obama when he delivered a speech on gun violence.
With that in mind, the image that came to me was Ryan Tedder from One Republic singing one of my favorite songs, Secrets. He sings:
“So tell me what you want to hear/
/Something that will light those ears/
/I’m sick of all the insincere/
/So I’m gonna give all my secrets away”
While watching CNN, they referred to Biden as someone not prone to lying or keeping things to himself. That was clearly evident in the fact that he has always been open about the fact that he wanted his late son to be president. The sentiment that Biden brought yesterday, is that Mr. Rogers sentiment. It is the rawness and truth that One Republic sings about.
This year already is confirming many firsts. In terms of representation, climate change, immigration, gender, religion, progress in the right direction is promised. For the first time in U.S. history, a president was impeached twice. For the first time in U.S. history, and hopefully only time ever, the Capitol Building was attacked by domestic terrorists. For the first time in U.S. history, the National Mall is closed to the public during inauguration.
“This is America’s day, .. a day of history and hope,” Biden said in his speech after being sworn in.
“The will of the people has been heard and the will of the people has been heeded. We’ve learned again that democracy is precious. And at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.”
Towards the end of his speech he touched on race, which was an integral theme in 2020 with Black Lives Matter protests.
“A cry for racial justice 400 years in the making moves us,” he said.
He also spoke of the need for the nation to come together and leave behind divisive rhetoric and ideas.
“There is truth and there are lies.“We must end this uncivil war. … We can do this if we open our hearts …” Biden added.
In true Biden fashion, the 46th president ended his inaugural address with words of hope. “We must face this pandemic as one nation. We will get through this together.”
Inauguration Day is a time where many people across the United States celebrate for whatever reason they have as the page turns with a new president. This time around, it’s bittersweet, with the painful, sorrowful past continuing into the present and future. At the same time as we stop to remember what and who was lost, a new wind is blowing, calling for change and we’ll see over the course of the next four years if it can whistle through the cracks of a fragmented America, and bring people together to heal.
