Kamala Harris' unprecedented inauguration day
Debra Thompson: In many ways, Harris is the embodiment of white conservatives’ fear that the country is on the precipice of irreversible demographic and political changes
By Debra Thompson
January 20, 2021
Sen. Kamala Harris addresses members of the media at Asheville Regional Airport on Oct. 21, 2020 in Asheville, North Carolina.(Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
Debra Thompson is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Canada Research Chair in Racial Inequality in Democratic Societies at McGill University.
This is an inauguration unlike any other. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many of the usually well-attended events, galas, and ceremonies into the virtual arena. President Trump has announced he will not be in attendance, eschewing a key tradition that has long represented the peaceful transition of power from one president to the next. And, of course, Inauguration Day bears witness to a number of historic firsts as Kamala Harris assumes her new role as the first woman of colour to serve as the Vice-President of the United States.