I’m still emotional and joyful about the inauguration. It went so much better than I could have even hoped. Vice President Kamala Devi Harris wore this stunning purple ensemble by Christopher John Rogers, a Black, queer designer from Louisiana. Her pearls were by Wilfredo Rosado, a Puerto Rican-New Jerseyian. Would you like to watch her swearing the oath of office again? I would!
After that, the imagery of the rest of the day was extraordinary. Usually, the new president and VP would stay in the Capitol for a big lunch with Congressional leaders, but they changed that up because of the pandemic. VP Harris was given the task of “seeing off” the Pences, in what would become yet another symbolic transfer of power. Then VP Harris walked behind the Howard University marching band, Showtime, for her historic walk down Pennsylvania Avenue.
This also happened: Vice President Harris swearing in three new Democratic senators: Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock and Alex Padilla. Padilla was appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to take over VP Harris’s Senate seat.
Here are photos of Vice President Kamala Devi Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff at the virtual inauguration special last night. Her ensemble here is by Sergio Hudson, the same Black designer who did Michelle Obama’s Avenger look at the inauguration. Oh, I found the video of her speech!
Photos courtesy of Getty, Backgrid, Avalon Red.
California resident here. So proud of California today! Anyway. It’s actually Alex Padill(a). Please change the O to an A. Thank you. 🙂
That’s my VP!! I could not stop sobbing yesterday and I am not one usually given to emotional outbursts.
Kamala’s mom and my mom, both hail from Chennai, and to see someone with the same skin tone as me, break glass ceilings, kick butt up there on the national stage, chills, so many chills!! I never thought this day would come, in her words, she is the first, but I know she will not be the last!!
She is my chithi too now, am claiming her. ( Chithi translates to auntie, mom’s younger sister ).
Thank you for explaining “chithi”! I kept hearing it over the past few weeks and was wondering what it meant. (My undergrad degree was in Linguistic Anthropology, so I find it fascinating how so many cultures and languages get super-specific with kinship terms.)
Miranda, You’re welcome, I have translated chithi to so many of my friends since our VP used that word in her speech 🙂
I love it, since it’s a word I grew up using for my aunt, my sons use for my sister, but to see others ask about it, and want to learn about it, it’s something. It’s small, just a word but it makes my heart happy, if that makes sense.
on that note Miranda, just in case you were interested in other cultures as well and don’t already know this.. Sweden has a super-specific kinship terminology. It is mother’s mother, father’s mother, father’s sister, sister’s son and so on.. and we trace it back really far that way too, as in my father’s-father’s-father’s-mother ‘farfarsfarmor’. It also means there are no generic auntie and uncle terms for close friends of the family, although I call myself ‘moster’ to my closest friend’s children even though I am not technically their mother’s sister.
Yes! South Indian here and so amazing to be represented! I am a child of immigrants who loves my country- USA! USA!
@Scarlett So beautiful! Cheering along with you!
Kamala is the best. So excited that my fellow CA resident is representing like this. CA women rock!
She looked positively giddy yesterday, I loved it! I’m so glad it all went well and they finally got to show some joy and celebrate!
Genuine laughter from an American VP … it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Love to see it!
And her laughter is so infectious! Delightful. I also love how she went from laughter to totally serious no nonsense when she was doing the swearing in. She’s the best
My favorite exchange yesterday:
Reporter: “Madame Vice President, what are you going to do next?”
Madame Vice President: “I’m walking to work!” as she strode through the gates of the White House grounds and into history.
Like some of the other commenters, I’m not typically overemotional. But watching the first woman sworn in as VP yesterday, by a female justice, with my daughters next to me… it was really overwhelming. I’m so thrilled and relieved that they’re growing up in a world where watching that was completely normal to them, and they don’t totally understand why it was a big deal to me.
I was giddy for her and for all women! I have to say, Americans know how to do pomp very well – I’m Canadian and we do not have this at all when our govt gets sworn-in, probably because our Prime Minister is not our head of state, so I’m always fascinated by American inaugurations!
I was wondering how other countries viewed yesterday’s inauguration. Thanks for your comment!
I had CNN on all day yesterday and was shocked myself! Quite an amazing day and very well done! I’ve never paid this much attention to an inauguration (usually just the swearing in) it was fascinating!
I watched by myself and cried and clapped like a crazy person. I haven’t felt this much hope for our country in years.
I did cringe when Sotomayor mispronounced her name though, we have to do better. If you don’t know how to say someone’s name just politely ask!
Jess, the name thing kills me. My inauguration shirt was a shirt that read “Comma la” it had an actual comma instead of the word. It’s not that hard to pronounce.
PS- I’m an English teacher and plan to get a button that says Oxford to put on the shirt when I lecture on commas. Lol.
Agreed. I mean, her name isn’t even difficult, and even if it was, she is the FIRST WOMAN VP OF THE UNITED STATES – practice it once or twice, for goodness sake!
Ys, I cringed too, although it could have been a moment of nervousness that tongue tied the Justice — like maybe she was so worried about mispronouncing it that she actually ended up doing just that. I can’t believe she doesn’t actually know the correct pronunciation.
Same. And you could see that Kamala’s demeanor changed as soon as that happened. Really bummed me out…I’m glad someone else mentioned this as I didn’t want to be a downer complaining on such a historic day/moment but yeah, that wasn’t cool, Justice Sotomayor.
Same Jess. I was sad about that. It’s really not hard to learn how to pronounce people’s names, especially the VICE PRESIDENT. Practice beforehand.
WHAT! Guess I didn’t hear that part all that well. It is too bad. Maybe it was a case of nerves. Hopefully. Because it’s not like her name hasn’t been on the news practically every single day since she was selected by Joe. I don’t really think she would do that. I’m sure she has had plenty of people struggle with Sotomayor. I can see people mispronouncing it who don’t keep up with the news at all.
I’ve been an emotional wreck since yesterday. Just so damn proud of Kamala. She looked amazing, powerful, happy, stunned by the enormity of her position. She & Doug are so cute. Reminiscent of the Obamas, who just wowed me in their admiration of Kamala’s historic achievement. Black girl magic indeed!
The fireworks! I just rewatched it with my son and teared up when I noticed the Lincoln monument behind VP Harris and her husband.
It’s amazing the wave of calm which overtook me directly following the vows. My exhale never lasted so long or was more deserved. Perhaps the planet did the same.
I sure did!
I cried when she was sworn in. It’s taken so damn long to have a woman in that position, but it finally happened. And we’re so lucky it’s someone as smart, competent, hard working, and strong as Vice President Harris.
I loved seeing her family walking with her. Also, she looked amazing, and that photo of her and our Second Gentleman in front of Lincoln in phenomenal.
It really bothered me when her name was mispronounced and you could tell for a flash that it bothered her too. It was like WHY?????
But other than that, it was wonderful.
Marigold- I agree, and Sonia Sotomayor should’ve done better. Amy Klobuchar took the trouble to pronounce Sotomayor correctly.
It really bothered me that Sotomayor mispronounced Kamala’s name, and then Kamala pronounced it even louder to correct her.
I did like Kamala’s giggle, “Yeah, that was weird!” when announcing her replacement and that she had resigned from the Senate.
I loved her reaction to announcing her replacement on the Senate floor.
I loved the moment in the Senate also.
I cringed a little at the name flub too (I’m sure it was a flub and not intentional or ignorance) because she’s probably been dealing with that her entire life, and in her big moment when it should have finally been perfect, it was ever so slightly not. But her joy at the end of the oath was wonderful.
Yeah, bummed me out, too 🙁
@lucy2 Re: her big moment. Remember when they messed up during Obama’s inauguration? You could see he was pissed, like, the first Black President of this damn country and dude messes it up! So he did the ceremony over again in private to make sure that there could be no issue with the instatement being considered void. Can folks just get it right for the BIPOC trailblazers?
I just love her energy and whole vibe. She definitely reminds me of Michelle Obama. I think she will make a wonderful VP.
They really did a great job organizing this. Props to Amy Klobuchar and Roy Blunt. It really was what was needed to turn the page and give America something nice for a change.
I ugly cried so many times.
Thank you for pointing that out. I was trying to look for a place to say that too. Klobuchar looked like she was having the time of her life yesterday. Such professionalism and joy together.
What a joyous and historic moment, truly amazing.
The only thing that bothered me was seeing Emhoff’s ex tweeting like crazy in such a proprietary way. Maybe they really all are a tight modern family, but she strikes me as very thirsty.
I don’t know, I just looked at her account – I think she was very excited, and anyone who isn’t in politics would probably do the same, meeting and seeing all those people.
Their family seems pretty tight. It has to be a little weird and a big change for everyone in the family, especially with all the security concerns, but she has been super supportive of VP Harris.
In her autobiography (which she reads on Audible, it is totally worth a listen) she says that the whole family is pretty close and she has a good relationship w/ Doug’s ex. But mostly I am commenting to plug her book 😉
Cried watching the ceremony yesterday, cried watching these clips today.
The list of executive orders Biden has already signed has lifted a weight off of our country. And i saw that getting rid of private prisons (at least federally) is on his list, which is an amazing thing.
Its hard to believe the GOP and its voters fought so hard for so much cruelty.
Oh wow @Ariel! I didn’t know about the private prisons plan! That is *wonderful* news. Yes, definitely cried a lot yesterday and every time I read about another executive order, more tears of joy and relief.
I could not get over how stunning, gorgeous, poised, and just all over magical VP Harris looked. It was a beautiful moment. It felt like a breath of fresh air the second they were sworn in. I swear it was like her laughter and grace was healing in some way.
Still on cloud nine from yesterday. What a wonderfully refreshing day. Felt like the real new year’s day.
I loved the whole Inauguration. Loved to see Kamala being sworn in. Does anyone know who the lady in the babushka scarf was behind Justice Sotomayor? She was taking video/pics with an iPad! Maybe Doug’s mom? (I don’t know anything about Doug’s parents, I just thought that bc it seems like such a grandma thing to do and I know Kamala’s have passed)
I absolutely love her. Don’t know her well or anything but I have met her a couple of times over the years and so have paid attention to her. She is, in person, just wonderful. Cool, down to earth, sweet, self deprecating, funny, her own person but kind, very pretty. I am so happy she is here with us, and for us! I also believe and appreciate that she has that Velvet Hammer thing going on. Nice as pie, but if she sees a problem, she WILL address it. So thrilled that we have her and Biden now. It’s like order in the universe has been restored. So stay safe, and let’s get through COVID next and there will indeed be better times ahead.
I completely over-commented today and some didn’t go through, which i understand. But I’m still on it from joy. I loved every moment of her arriving, coming down the steps, her clothes, her expression watching JLo, ALL of it. What a great day and great woman. I do hope this becomes more and more normal for all the little girls out there.
Her unrestrained joy yesterday was the first time in my nearly 50 years that I have seen a person appropriately respond to the moment they are sworn in! She was INCANDESCENT with joy.