Despite Washington, D.C., being under a tight lockdown, black women from across the country traveled to the nation's capital to cheer on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Inauguration Day.
Harris made history on Wednesday by becoming the first woman, first black person, and first Asian American to hold the office of vice president.
Jem Peddie, who traveled from Atlanta to Washington by plane on Tuesday, said she felt like she needed to be at the inauguration, even though she stood about a mile away from the U.S. Capitol.
"Being right here is good enough," said Peddie, who also attended President Barack Obama's inauguration.
Peddie said she made the choice to come even though she knew security would be tight after pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol two weeks ago. In the city, 20,000 armed National Guardsmen surrounded the streets, most of which were also blocked off by police cars and law enforcement.
"I needed to be here. I can honestly say that that is like the most important thing to me," Peddie said, regarding Harris's historic swearing-in: "I love Joe Biden. He’s great. He’s awesome, but Kamala’s win is historic on so many levels."
While many came out to support Biden, who became the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, Peddie wasn't the only woman of color who said they felt particularly connected to Harris.
Harris, the 56-year-old daughter of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, wore purple in a nod to Shirley Chisholm, a black woman who ran for president in the late 1960s and who served as one of Harris's political inspirations.
On Wednesday, Harris tweeted a video of the women who shaped her life, adding, "I’m here today because of the women who came before me."
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Many who came out to the Capitol donned apparel related to Harris's background, not only as an ode to her being the first black woman to hold the second highest office but also her Jamaican heritage and roots as a historically black college graduate. Harris graduated from Howard University in 1986.
Carol Stewart, a native of Washington selling Biden-Harris merchandise, said Harris's rise to political office reminded her of Obama's legacy as the country's first black president.
"I feel the same way about her how I felt about Barack Obama," Stewart said. "It’s a historical event that people at my age probably never thought we’d see. This is very, very meaningful to African Americans. It’s meaningful to little black and brown children to let them know that America is not just a country of white people, to let them know that you can be successful."
Stewart said she expects a lot out of the next administration, including expanded voting rights and a solution to immigrant families that have been separated at the southern border. But, first and foremost, Stewart said the duo needs to combat the coronavirus pandemic that has now killed over 400,000 people in the country.
The Washingtonian said she feels like many have been "on edge" over the last four years throughout the fast-paced and sometimes chaotic Trump presidency.
"Things will run normal now," she said. "It won’t be chaotic, with the tweets every day, with the corruption and the drama. I’m really happy to be here. This is a new beginning."
Roberta Hoskie, of Connecticut, said she wants to see the pandemic mitigated but also wants to see improvement in the relationship between black people and law enforcement.
Hoskie called Harris's victory "an amazing thing," adding that she felt sometimes her achievement was overlooked by some.
"For me, there was not a thought of staying home," Hoskie said. "It’s a representation that anything is possible, and she has opened up doors not just for myself, but for my children and for my children’s children."
But, it's not just women who felt connected to Harris. Dimetri O’Brien, another Washington native, brought his mother, who isn't originally from the U.S., to the inauguration to see history.
O'Brien said that though he can't speak for black women, Harris's rise to vice president is meaningful for all of the community.
"It just kind of hits home, I guess, for black people in general," O'Brien said. "We have somebody in office again who is fighting for our rights and looks like us."
The Biden-Harris administration began on Wednesday.
