January 20, 2021, the country celebrated the 46th President of the United States at the traditional Inauguration Ceremony. However, Joe Biden wasn’t precisely the most memorable image of the day, but rather the women who stood on stage surrounding him.
Michelle Obama’s Entry
Michelle Obama, the former first lady, in a magenta-colored jacket with a matching monochromatic turtleneck sweater, and the best part of it all- wide-leg trousers. Where is the outfit from? Sergio Hudson, a Black designer based in South Carolina who also dressed Vice President Kamala Harris for the inauguration. Why magenta? It is the color that represents bipartisanship.
The bang. The belt. The burgundy. She can't miss 🙌🏾 #InaugurationDay #MichelleObama pic.twitter.com/GYP1qWRcgS
— Brittany Jones-Cooper (@BJonesCooper) January 20, 2021
A Historic Vice Presidency
Vice President Kamala Harris is the first female, Black and South Asian to hold this position. What she wore today was also significant. Harris wore pieces from Christopher John Rogers and Sergio Hudson, topping it off with Wilfredo Rosado’s signature pearls. Rogers is a designer based in Brooklyn, originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Additionally, the purple color she wore was representative of the suffragette movement, which means “the color of loyalty, constancy to purpose, unswerving steadfastness to a cause,” and a reflection of the first Black woman elected to Congress, Shirley Chisholm.
On this day, I choose gratitude, joy, and hope. I surrender to this unbelievable historic moment. The first Black woman, South Asian woman, first woman PERIOD to become Vice President of the United States @KamalaHarris. She is the first but she will not be the last. #Inauguration pic.twitter.com/KCJdrlwQkf
— Phoebe Robinson (@dopequeenpheebs) January 20, 2021
Diversity and Women’s Empowerment
Vice President Kamala Harris was sworn in by the first Latina Justice, Sonia Sotomayor. Though the moment was short, it marked a new era for the country where women are closer to equality than we have ever imagined.
WATCH: Vice President Kamala Harris is sworn into office by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. https://t.co/K220VBmgCp pic.twitter.com/ZsQjSeZFEw
— CNBC (@CNBC) January 20, 2021
JLo Almost Made It
Jennifer Lopez performed at the ceremony, singing ‘This Land Is Your Land,’ and after transitioning to ‘America the Beautiful.’ The transition was from her 2000 song ‘Let’s Get Loud,’ which drew many critiques, and frankly, we still don’t understand what she was thinking. Finally, she said the Pledge of Alliance in Spanish, representing all the Latinos in the country.
Watch Jennifer Lopez’s stunning mash up of ‘This Land Is Your Land’ and ‘America the Beautiful’ — with a little ‘Let’s Get Loud’ thrown in for good measure 🎵 pic.twitter.com/YoUYxxf4SO
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) January 20, 2021
The Promise of a Young Poet
Saving the best for last was Amanda Gorman. At 22-years-old, she became the youngest inaugural poet. Her recitation of ‘The Hill We Climb’ embodied a Black woman’s struggle, with hope for the future. Her verses “envision a way in which our country can still come together and can still heal,” she told The New York Times in an interview. Coinciding with the new administration’s plan for the country’s future, Gorman hit the nail, saying: ‘A nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished.’
Amanda Gordon's complete remarks. pic.twitter.com/tKsAqT9Kl0
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 20, 2021
Truly a memorable day for all women, especially Black women, the inauguration was not so much about the 46th president; it was about how women have shattered through glass ceilings and are seeing the hard work pay off.
