To witness an important historical US event, many Americans viewed the 2021 Presidential Inauguration on January 20 and saw and appreciated that it celebrated inclusivity and diversity.
Pennsylvania resident Theresa Elwell said that the inclusion of women is one of the points of the Inauguration that stood out to her most.
According to social studies teacher Amanda Gale, who teaches AP Government, a moment that will go down in history is Kamala Harris, the first female vice president of the U.S., being sworn into office.
Freshman Adelyn Clemmer said she watched the Inauguration to witness this history.
According to the PBS article “Not all women gained the vote in 1920,” in 1920, white women in America gained the right to the vote. At this time, Asian American women and Indigenous women could not qualify for citizenship and therefore couldn’t vote. Tactics such as literacy tests and poll taxes were established to keep Black and Latina women from voting too.
It wasn’t until 1965 when the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed that outlawed racial discrimination in voting that all women in America could vote.
Social studies teacher Melissa Tiffney said that she and her coworker “found it really nice” that a woman of color was now the Vice President of the United States.
Black American and the National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman also recited her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the Inauguration.
In an interview with the New York Times, Gorman said that she wanted to “be able to use my words to envision a way in which our country can still come together and still heal.”
U.S. Senator Bob Casey said that Gorman’s poem was “one of the most amazing presentations I have ever seen,” and that her “delivery and performance was inspiring because it came from the heart.”
“I am going to get a copy of her poem and frame it because that’s how impressive it was,” Casey said.
Elwell said that she appreciated the way Gorman was “honored and respected” and that “what she shared was so amazing.”
Along with the inclusion of people of color in the Inauguration, there were also more young people present.
According to the Congressional Research Service, as of 2018, the average age of the Senate is 61.8 years and the average age of the House of Representatives is 57.8 years.
As of 2019, the average age of an American is 38.1 years.
Tiffney said that one of the biggest differences of this Inauguration compared to others was the inclusion of young people.
“The Inaugural Ceremony reflected the diversity of [President Biden’s] cabinet,” Casey said.
According to Tiffney, the Inauguration provided “naturable, teachable moments” to her 7-year-old son about the importance of diversity.
Tiffney said that “inclusion, unity, and diversity are all the things to me that make America great.”
Clemmer said that this Inauguration will “go down in the books” and is “very memorable.”