A fresh Start

Maggi Feit

Finally, after months of unrest & uncertainty, the long awaited day has come and gone. On January 21st, Joe Biden was sworn into office as the 46th President of the United States. And for the first time in what feels like a very long time, America felt a collective sense of hope.

Hope.

The word seemed to have been lost to us over the last few years. We have seen great chaos & destruction under the former administration - and have come to know great pain and turmoil with the events and circumstances of this past year.

But on that Wednesday, it felt as though some hope was restored. The inauguration signified a new beginning for America with themes of light, truth, and unity. It represented a renewal of democracy - the foundational ideal that has come to disprove its fragility. Above all, the inauguration symbolized new growth for America, and a moving forward for our nation.

President Biden reflected these themes in his inaugural address. He celebrated democracy in his declaration that “democracy has prevailed.” He called upon our nation to unite, asserting that, “disagreement must not lead to disunion." Finally, he captured the importance of re-acquiring the trust of the American people so that we may “start afresh.”

But in our current age of division & hardship, it will take more than words to heal our nation and secure its future. In regards to his first actions in office, President Biden is determined to (quickly) erase much of the Trump agenda. This means managing the pandemic, economic struggles, immigration & diversity issues, and the environment and climate change. His first executive actions included rejoining the Paris Climate Accord and ending Trump’s travel ban.

Further, we witnessed history at this inauguration as the first woman ever elected to national office was sworn in as Vice President. A black woman of Asian heritage, Kamala Harris, is representing and inspiring Black and brown girls & women across our nation.

Though we don’t know exactly what the future holds for our country, we do know that it can only get better. America still has a very long way to go, and these two figures are by no means without fault - but for right now, they signify a new age for our nation.

Above all, January 21st allowed us to look towards a new beginning for America. And as we made our way out of a time of darkness, we were reminded that there is always light, “...if only we are brave enough to see it, and if only we are brave enough to be it.” (Amanda Gorman).