On January 20 2021 hundreds gathered for the inauguration of President Joe Biden The inauguration had a smaller number of attendees compared to a typical inauguration ceremony In ordinary years thousands fill the streets of Washington DC to see a new president sworn in But COVID-19 pandemic restrictions limited the number of attendees Members of the US Senate and House of Representatives were able to attend in person Most of the rest of the nation watched the inauguration on television The ceremony was on the West Front lawn of the US Capitol Building Biden was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts took his oath of office and became the nation’s forty-sixth president During his first presidential address he shared the goals and ambitions he had for his term He focused on the power of unity This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge and unity is the path forward he said 7
Vice President Kamala Harris was sworn in by Justice Sonia Sotomayor Harris made history becoming the first woman and the first person of color to serve in the role Celebrities joined in the celebration too Singer Lady Gaga performed The Star Spangled Banner and entertainer Jennifer Lopez performed This Land Is Our Land and America the Beautiful One of the most memorable moments of the ceremony was a recitation by a young poet Amanda Gorman approached the podium paused for a moment and began to speak The sun glistened on her long yellow trench coat and red headband This was a special day for Gorman She was making history as the youngest poet and first National Youth Poet Laureate to recite a poem during the presidential inauguration Millions watched Gorman share her vision for America’s next chapter Her poem The Hill We Climb provided a clear picture of the Kamala Harris taking the oath of office on January 20 2021 8
Gorman practiced performing The Hill We Climb over and over the night before the inauguration power of community building In Gorman’s view the US was at a transformative moment in its history But while democracy can be periodically delayed it can never be permanently defeated she said In this truth in this faith we trust For while we have our eyes on the future history has its eyes on us The day Gorman recited her poem many felt the country had plunged into darkness Early the previous year the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world The virus had sickened and killed millions of people by the time of Biden’s inauguration On May 25 2020 George Floyd a Black man was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis Minnesota The video of the incident led to protests for racial justice across the globe 9
