Reflecting on Inauguration Day

“We, the successors of a country and a time 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.”  - Amanda Gorman 

Americans have been met with great challenge in the past year. The exhaustion brought on by the pandemic, the renewed acknowledgment of racism in this country, and the tumult of the presidential election has left so many of us weary. Yet, last week, hope and an opportunity to breathe easier presented themselves to all of us, as we watched the peaceful democratic transfer of power. A hallmark of our democracy. American democracy remains a meaningful representation of what we share in common and what makes us different.

We watched in awe as Kamala Harris broke a number of barriers on Wednesday morning, most notably, becoming the first woman and person of Black and South Asian heritage to become vice president. At the same time, the nation’s first-ever poet laureate, Amanda Gorman spoke words that deeply penetrated our hearts and minds. She struck at the center of this moment. The notion that, quite literally, anything is possible when we open doors for one another.

The words, actions, and images portrayed by people are powerful symbols of equity, opportunity, and ultimately, possibility. My son was born in 2011 and in recognizing Barack Obama as his “first president,”  my son saw that a brown boy of Latino heritage could look like the most powerful man in the world. To see oneself in the people we admire is both a form of recognition and acknowledgment of what is possible for oneself. These are symbols of belonging. When images of heroes and people in leadership are vastly represented by one culture or race, children of different backgrounds struggle to imagine themselves as the hero or leader.  Evidence has shown, a sense of belonging has been linked to positive academic outcomes for all children, but it is particularly significant for children from socially stigmatized groups who have historically experienced discrimination. It’s hard to be what you can’t see -- the image of Barack and Kamala changed that for us. 

Black and Brown children all over the world witnessed a moment that gave them the permission to dream and aim ridiculously high. A reflection of themselves at the highest position in the U.S. government, vanishing norms that have had a longstanding mental and emotional impact on people of color. Our children will look to the Biden administration with hope, pride, and great expectations. We all should. Harris' election sent a message that Black and Brown children belong here and will lead here, alongside others. A message we’ve longed to see and hear for centuries. 

We won’t all agree on what this moment symbolized for our generation and generations to come.  Our democracy provides a place for differences and space for greater possibilities.

“And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us. We close the divide because we know, to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside.” - Amanda Gorman