Inauguration Day in America

It’s Inauguration Day in America, when the 46th President of the United States Joe Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris will officially take the reins of the executive branch. We’ll begin today’s show by checking in with WHYY’s MARK EICHMANN who is down in Washington D.C. for the festivities. Historian MARTHA JONES, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, will then discuss the historic Vice Presidency of Kamala Harris and how it follows a long line of Black women who have fought for democracy, the right to vote and equality. We’ll also discuss the critical role Black women played in the 2020 election cycle.  Then, just before the inauguration ceremony begins, Washington Post senior editor MARC FISHER will tell us about the two sides of Joe Biden’s personality, both empathy and ambition, and how they could affect the way he and his administration govern.