When All We Have Left is Ourselves
Guest post by Kristine Schwartzman

The irony of celebrating Martin Luther King's life and legacy, and the inauguration of a president who exemplifies division and hate on the same day is not lost on many Americans.

Like many of you, I hoped that Americans would choose a woman of color as Commander in Chief. An exemplary leader, Kamala Harris promised to be a president for everyone. But, that is not what happened.  

We cannot stop what is coming. This will be a time of great hardship for so many. The question now is where do we go from here when it all seems so futile?

Martin Luther King, Jr. faced enormous obstacles, hurdles and setbacks. We only need to look to him for inspiration. After all, it's his day. And, he knew a little something about courage. 

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

"If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl; but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward."

"Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles."
​

Guest Post by Kristine Schwartzman

Voter suppression is nothing new. Even after Black men attained the right to vote in 1869, laws, threats, long distances to polling places, and unattainable qualifications kept many from exercising that right.

Grandfather's Gift posted about this very issue in a September 2, 2020, feature about Otis Moss, Sr., who in the Jim Crow south in 1946, was turned away from polling place after polling place, until time was up. The polls closed. Otis Moss, Sr. never got the chance to cast his vote. Voter suppression never stopped.  Instead, it became much more sophisticated over the years.

An election looms. Voter suppression laws and tactics threaten the fairness of each and every race. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, studies about the effect of laws and suppression tactics, such as strict voter ID requirements, voting restrictions on Sundays, longer wait lines at polling places for people of color, the closures of many polling places in neighborhoods where people of color reside, and higher rejection rates for mail-in ballot votes cast by Black and Latina voters than those cast by white people, show that time after time, eligible voters are denied the opportunity to make their voices heard. 

Voter suppression laws undermine our democracy. It's up to each one of us to fight against voter suppression and keep our elections fair.  What can we do?

Volunteer:
Protect the Vote: If you agree that every eligible voter deserves to have their voice count, you can take action from home or in person by serving as a nonpartisan Election Protection volunteer.

Donate to any of the following organizations that use legal means to fight voter suppression:
The ACLU
League of Women Voters
The Legal Defense Fund

Vote for Candidates Who Believe That Every Eligible Voter Deserves a Voice:
Check Your Registration
Check Your State's Voting Requirements
Mail-in Ballot Requirements by State
Find Your Polling Place
Personalized Ballot Info About Candidates and Issues

When Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic Party's nomination for president, it was a gigantic leap forward. Already holding office as the first female vice president this country of opportunity has ever had, as well as the first woman of color, Kamala Harris took another historic leap at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

On Thursday, August 22, 2024 Kamala Harris became the first Black woman, and first person of South Asian descent to be nominated for the highest office in the land. Balloons fell from the convention center ceiling after her acceptance speech. Invisible shards of glass fell as well. 

"We are the heirs to the greatest democracy in the history of the world. And on behalf of our children and grandchildren, and all those who sacrificed so dearly for our freedom and liberty, we must be worthy of this moment. It is now our turn to do what generations before us have done.

​Guided by optimism and faith, to fight for this country we love. To fight for the ideals we cherish. And to uphold the awesome responsibility that comes with the greatest privilege on Earth. The privilege and pride of being an American."
-- Kamala Harris acceptance speech

Click here to read the full transcript of Kamala Harris's acceptance speech. 

Let me say that again ─ President Biden.
 
It feels so good.  
 
A day or two before Inauguration day, I was so worried about then President-elect Joe Biden's safety I actually wondered if I should email Rachel Maddow. I wanted to ask Ms. Maddow to call Dr. Biden and urge her to encourage her husband to have an indoor ceremony. Roosevelt did that once. Of course, I didn't. I was that worried, though.
 
Having recently read the book and talked about "Lincoln on the Verge" detailing Lincoln's 13-day trip to D.C. from Illinois, I couldn't help but think about the similarities. People wanted to kill Lincoln. The trip was a nightmare for those responsible for his safety. He kept getting out off the train to talk to the people. But, he made it.

​I remember watching President Obama and his family on the customary "walk down the street" to the White House after his inauguration. "Get back in the car," I urged. And, here we were again. Eighty-one million of us voted for Joseph Biden. He is our president. As he, Dr. Biden and members of their family "walked down the street," I silently wished them back in the car.

High Expectations

We all have high expectations of the Biden presidency. We're relieved, yes, but we also expect a lot from his administration. As Jesus said in the film, "Jesus Christ Superstar," ─ "I'm just one man," ─ so Joseph R. Biden is just one man.  (I just had to throw a film reference in here. Cut me a little slack.)
 
President Biden knows better than anyone what needs to be done. He surrounded himself with a superb group of gifted people to help him move the country forward. He is the most qualified man on the face of the earth to step into this presidency. Hands down.
 
Still, he is just one man. We need to remind ourselves of the importance of teamwork, and temper a tendency to expect the President to be a knight in shining armor on a white horse coming to our rescue. We have to work with Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris to repair the damage of the last four years and "build back better." President Biden needs our help. We can't let him down.

The poet who will carry on a tradition and present her new work, "The Hill We Climb" at the inauguration tomorrow is already quite accomplished at the age of 22. Jeffrey Brown talked to Amanda Gorman to learn more, as part of the ongoing PBS arts and culture series, "CANVAS."

Watch the interview below or read the transcript at the PBS News Hour website.

With the election of Abraham Lincoln, Nancy Kendall’s world was about to enter one of the most volatile chapters in the history of the American Experience.
 
On the eve of the Civil War, President-elect Lincoln traveled two weeks on the long train trip from Springfield, IL, to Washington D. C. for his inauguration. Newspapers were the only reliable form of mass communication at the time. The citizens of a troubled nation wanted to know their new president on a more personal level than newsprint could offer. As Lincoln wound his way through cities both small and large, he got off the train at each stop to speak directly to the people.
 
Lincoln was in terrible danger as he traveled east whether he took it seriously or not. As he prepared to assume the office of President of the U.S., alarm bells were going off in the minds of those involved in not only the inaugural preparations, but also those in charge of security during the perilous trip to D.C. Provocateurs plotted against the president-elect and planned various, often violent actions to obstruct him along the way. 

Historian Ted Widmer examines this 13 day journey in his book, "Lincoln on the Verge: Thirteen Days to Washington."  

​In a World Affairs Council Dallas/Forth Worth interview, Widmer and fellow historian Jeffrey Engel discuss Lincoln's "odyssey to save democracy" as he traveled from Springfield to Washington D.C. 

​The parallels between Lincoln's election and inauguration and that of President-elect Joseph Biden are striking. Biden steps on a stage every bit as fraught with dangers. He assures the citizens of the U.S. that he is not afraid to meet the challenges as our leader, and he cares deeply for "we the people."
 
Next time: Thoughts about President-elect Joe Biden as he faces leading a country  filled with unrest.