According to the Twentieth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, Inauguration Day is officially set for January 20th. Although the past few months have been filled with uncertainty, there’s no doubt that President-elect Joe Biden will be officially inaugurated this Wednesday at the Capitol Hill.
This year, the theme of the inauguration is ‘America United.’ Our nation has been divided by so many aspects for the past year, it seems perfectly logical to choose this topic. From the pandemic to political views, economical situation, racial problems and now the COVID-19 vaccine, we have never had such different views – nor have we defended our opinions so violently before.
The Presidential Inaugural Committee has recently declared that this theme ‘reflects the beginning of a new national journey that restores the soul of America, brings the country together and creates a path to a brighter future.’
In short, this statement may sound a bit like ‘Make America great again, again’ and we surely hope it happens because we could all use some normality right now.
Participating from home
Ironically enough, though, the most anticipated inaugural in our nation’s recent history should rather be left unattended for the public safety.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, as well as her security officials have urged Americans to attend the ceremony virtually and celebrate at home. This measure of safety is heartbreakingly meant to keep us safe from our potentially violent co-citizens who have been allegedly planning violent protests on January 20th. Staying at home is equally important to prevent the spread of COVID-19, since our country is facing a major public health care crisis right now as infections rate is through the roof.
We highly support this initiative; now is the ideal time to take advantage of our technological privilege and come together in peace safely.
Below, you can check out a list of resources to watch the inauguration live:
TV Live Stream
PBS: The PBS NewsHour program starts at 10:30 a.m. and the Celebrating America primetime livestream is scheduled for 8-10 p.m.
ABC: The Good Morning America special edition begins at 7 a.m. followed by seven uninterrupted hours of inauguration livestream ranging from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; their program Inauguration of Joseph R. Biden Jr. starts at 8 p.m.
CBS: Their Inauguration coverage ranges from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will be followed by the CBS News Special: One Nation: Indivisible at 8 p.m.
NBC: Here you can watch six full hours of livestream starting at 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET; at 8:30 p.m., you can watch their Celebrating America special.
CNN: In perhaps the most thorough coverage, CNN will broadcast their Inauguration coverage from Tuesday, January 19th at 4 p.m. ET until Thursday, January 21st at 4 a.m.
Online streaming
PBS: You can see the televised Inauguration Day as well as the Celebrating America special by accessing the PBS NewsHour streaming platform here.
Cheddar: Here, you’ll get live reports on Inauguration Day starting at 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET streamed on multiple free platforms such as Roku and Tubi (see here).
PlutoTV: This service offers multiple free livestreaming options which include channels such as CNN, NBC, Sky News and Cheddar. Read more about it right here.
Who will perform?
In spite of the pandemic, this year’s Inauguration Day will feature performances from some of the most popular American artists of our generation. Firstly, we will get to see Lady Gaga performing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ ahead of the swearing-in ceremony (expected to take place at about 11:30 a.m.). Jennifer Lopez is also confirmed to perform at some point during the ceremony.
The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by firefighter Andrea Hall, while our first National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman will recite a poem.
The Presidential Inaugural Committee has already announced that the event will be pared down to protect participants’ health and safety. However, there are expected multiple musical performances, dance troupes, as well as a homage to America’s frontline heroes who fought against COVID-19 in the past year.
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