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There are at least three times in the Holy Bible where it speaks to a divide house – Matthew 12:25, Mark 3:25, and Luke 11:17. If a house is not equal, it is not stable or solid. At the first sign of trouble, the house will crack. It cannot weather any storm. This is why a house must be unified. There is strength in numbers and most definitely strength in stability. This is the America President Joe Biden is trying to restore. This vision of America is where the country takes on problems together to work for com- mon resolutions. The country that was a leader that others looked to as the example of what is right. This is how to build back better.
President Biden ensured that his message resonated in every aspect of all inaugural activities. If unity was the main the message, diversity was the sub-message. Getting back to America’s core won’t take one party over the other. It is going to take more than one set of people or ideals. It is going to take the collective of every American – every gender, race, religion, thought, and action of all of us. We have to be one and work as one.
Although it was 38 years ago when Frankie Beverly and Maze first released their classic “We Are One,” the message of the song could not be more appropriate than it is today. Having the fame band a part of the festivities was a must. Joining them on the star-studded lineup also included Leslie Jones, Stacey Abrams, Whip Jim Clyburn, Rep. Cedric Richmond, Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Joyce Beatty, Senator Cory Booker, Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock, Kim Fields, Erika Alexander, Jason George, DJ D-Nice, The O’Jays, Rhapsody, Step Afrika, the String Queens, the Texas Southern University Debate Team and more. The night was meant to honor the re- silience of Black Americans by celebrating the culture and heroism. In addition, the program celebrated the commitment to unity from Blacks, Latinos, Asians, and Pacific Islanders.
Also on display were Historically Black Col- leges and Universities and the National Pan-Hellenic Council fraternities and sororities. It is widely known about President Harris’ membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and how the sisters are her secret weapon. A big part of the history of those organizations is the HBCU campuses on which they were founded. One can’t reference HBCUS without talking about the bands that define them all. A Battle of the Band compe- tition was added to the festivities featuring the musical sound from Florida A&M University Marching 100, Grambling State University World Famed Marching Band, Jackson State University Sonic Boom of the South, Louisiana Leadership Institute All-star March- ing Band, South Carolina State University Marching 101, Southern University Human Jukebox Marching Band, and the Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands. Black culture has used music as both en- tertainment and a way of communicating thoughts for calls to act and to expressing political views.
Every aspect of this program evoked the theme of unity of all cultures. In fact, all festivities of the 59th Inauguration promoted this message. President Biden has repeated this sentiment over and over. It will be the only way that we can heal from the actions of the past administration and press forward to embrace change and a future where we all have a unified front.