Can Biden’s inauguration ceremony really unite Americans? History suggests so
Only a few days after the US Capitol was the theater for a violent insurgency, the stage is being prepared for a very different event.
On Jan. 20, at noon, Joe Biden will take the oath of office and become the 46th president of the US. Kamala Harris, too, will take the oath as vice-president, and make history as the first woman—and the first Black and Asian American one—to do so.
Presidential inaugurations are big productions, and this one will be, too, although of a very different kind than usual. Where there are typically preparations for the hundreds of thousands of spectators that pour into Washington, DC, to attend the event, this time the focus is on the opposite. The city is discouraging travel because of Covid-19 concerns, and plans are in place to deploy over 20,000 National Guard troops to prevent further unrest. Important landmarks in the city will be locked, and there won’t be crowds on the National Mall, but an installation of 191,500 American flags and 56 light pillars (one for each state and territory) in their stead.
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