Sojourner Truth Radio: January 20, 2021 – Inauguration Special
Today on Sojourner Truth:
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be sworn in as the next President and Vice President of the United States, today, on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. This year’s inauguration, which is predominately virtual, will be much different from all others in the past. The ceremony is taking place just two weeks after the violent January 6 insurrection on the Capitol by far-right and white supremacist supporters of Donald Trump. People around the world will be able to stream the ceremonies from the Presidential Inauguration Committee website, as well as major social media platforms.
Trump will not be in attendance and will instead hold a send-off ceremony of sorts at the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. He and his family are off to their Florida residence. Up to 25,000 National Guard troops are expected to be in Washington, D.C., but there is trouble there, because they are being vetted and thus far, 12 of them have been removed for various reasons. At least two of them for supporting white supremacist groups.
Biden and Harris are expected to take their oaths of office at noon Eastern at the Capitol. According to NPR, Harris will be sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, while Biden will be sworn in by Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts. After being sworn in, Biden will deliver his inaugural address, which many report will emphasize unity and reconciliation in the post-Trump era. In a pre-recorded farewell address released on Tuesday, January 9, Trump completely glossed over the violent Capitol insurrection and his role in promoting it, bragged about his record on foreign policy and said the movement he supported and grew is only just beginning. He also failed to mention his successor Biden and Harris by their names. Meanwhile, on the night before his inauguration, Biden and Harris led the first national tribute for the roughly 400,000 people in the U.S. killed by COVID-19, saying, “To heal, we must remember.”
Our guests are Emiliana Guereca and Susan Burton. Emiliana Guereca is an entrepreneur based in Los Angeles with a passion for giving back to the community. She was also a surrogate for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Along with being an award-winning event producer, Emi devotes much of her time to advocacy programs for women’s rights, Latino education, and gender equality. After cycling in and out of the criminal justice system for nearly fifteen years, Susan gained freedom and sobriety and founded A New Way of Life Reentry Project in 1998. She opened her doors to other women returning home from prisons and jails, offering shelter, safety, leadership, and support to those seeking to rebuild their lives. Dedicating her life to helping other women break the cycle of incarceration, homelessness, addiction and despair, Susan became a recognized leader in the criminal justice reform and reentry rights movements. Susan is currently a steering committee member for the Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted Peoples and Family Movement.