Written by Dimitris Xygalatas, University of Connecticut____As one president’s term ends and another begins, there is a ceremony. Its importance is one of symbolism rather than substance. The Constitution is clear: On Jan. 20, there will be a transfer of power. There is no mention of an inauguration.By definition, ritual acts have no direct effect on the world. A ceremonial event is one that symbolically affirms something that happens by other, more direct means. In this case, the election – not the inauguration – makes the president, although an oath is required before exercising his power.Nonetheless, ceremonies matter. Having spent two decades studying ritual, I can attest to that. So can the recent history of inaugurations: In 2009, Barack Obama misplaced one word when reciting the presidential oath of office. As a result, he decided to retake the oath the next day. And in 2017, Donald Trump insisted that his inauguration was attended by a record-setting crowd, even as everyone’s eyes saw otherwise. He saw the size of the attendance as a measure of his legitimacy.Ritual efficacyThroughout history, all human societies have used rituals to mark major events and transitions: personal landmarks like birthdays and weddings, group accomplishments such as graduations, and government transitions of power. Those ceremonies send signals that command our attention and strengthen the perceived importance of those moments.Ritual actions involve formality, precision and repetition. A priest must wear a special garment; a prayer must be uttered word for word; and a mantra might be recited 108 times. These features make rituals appear similar to more goal-directed actions: A judge banging a gavel resembles a carpenter hammering a nail. Due to these similarities, our brains assign those acts actual power.This is what my collaborators and I found in a soon-to-be-published study. We showed people videos of basketball players shooting free throws and asked them to predict the outcome of each shot. Half of those videos showed the players performing a brief ritual, such as kissing the ball or touching their shoes before shooting. The other half did not include any ritual.Participants predicted that the ritualized shots would be more successful. They were not. But their minds unconsciously tied the arbitrary actions preceding those shots with their expectations for the outcome.Special momentsCollective rituals carry the weight of tradition, which gives them an aura of historical continuity and legitimacy. Even though they do change from time to time, they are often perceived as unchanged and unchangeable.For instance, Thanksgiving celebrations have been modified several times, often by presidential decree. Yet, a recent study reported that people found the mere suggestion of altering holiday traditions morally offensive. Rituals “represent group values and hence seem sacred.”Public ceremonies like inaugurations are wrapped in pageantry. They involve music, banners, speeches and more – the more important the moment, the more extravagant the ceremony. When we attend a ritual loaded with splendor, it is as if a little voice inside our brain is telling us: “Pay attention, because something important and meaningful is happening.”The only provision in the Constitution is that the new president must be sworn in. Thirty-five words is all that is required: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”When Jan. 20 falls on a Sunday, the inauguration is held on the following day. In that case, the oath is administered twice: privately on the Sunday, when the actual transfer of power takes place, and publicly again on Monday, for ceremonial reasons.The exuberance and theatricality transforms what could be a mundane, ordinary moment into something memorable and noteworthy.Intuitive appealCeremonies speak directly to some of our basic instincts, triggering intuitions about their efficacy, symbolism and importance. Human institutions have adapted to reflect – and harness – those instincts to strengthen the perceived importance of our social institutions and the unity of civil society.This is, in fact, why heads of state who are not popularly elected tend to hold more flamboyant public ceremonies than their democratically chosen counterparts. Even in countries where kings and queens are powerless, their enthronements are celebrated with far more splendor than the inaugurations of elected leaders.[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.]But there is a flip side to this. Populist leaders, who are successful thanks to their ability to capitalize on people’s instincts, are almost always fond of ritual exuberance. For his inauguration, Donald Trump reportedly requested a military march, complete with tanks, missile launchers and jet fighters.The Department of Defense apparently declined most of these requests, out of worry that the inauguration would look like a totalitarian power display. But many of Trump’s supporters liked the idea precisely for that reason.When Trump finally managed to get tanks in the streets for a July Fourth parade in 2019, one of his fans wondered: “If Korea can have a military parade, why can’t we?”Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Joe Biden’s inauguration will be scaled down and mostly virtual. Donald Trump is not planning to attend, thereby missing the opportunity to see a smaller inauguration crowd than his own.____Dimitris Xygalatas, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Psychological Sciences, University of ConnecticutThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original...

If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account here and check out our how-to post to learn more.____At Harvard Business School, I received best in class training in marketing, finance, strategy and management, but they left me utterly unprepared for the microaggressions I was going to experience at work after I graduated. They didn’t teach me what to do when I watched young tech bros in Silicon Valley with significantly less experience get promoted faster than me. They didn’t tell me what to do on the first day of a new job, when my manager pulled me aside and said, “I just want you to know that I didn’t hire you because you’re Black.” They didn’t offer any guidance on how to handle getting called “aggressive” in performance reviews when others were applauded for their assertiveness. Since I was usually the only Black person in the building, I had no one to ask and I had to figure it out myself, making lots of mistakes along the way.Mindfulness has been the key to my sanity. Mindfulness has been the key to my success. And, it was markedly cheaper than my MBA. In the last year, companies have been patting themselves on the back for their newfound prioritization of diversity, equity and inclusion. The implicit bias training industry has blown up. While I think this is a necessary step on the journey, it’s going to take a long time for our white colleagues to transform generations of inherited bias and the structural racism that continues to exist. I challenge companies to ask themselves — what are we doing for the Black people in our workforce today?We can’t wait for the outcomes of these trainings, because the impact of our pain today is real. Microaggressions cause a fight or flight reaction in our bodies. It activates the survival-mode, lizard brain; our cortisol levels shoot up, and the stress, whether we acknowledge it or not, shows up in our physical well-being.  A Harvard Medical School publication explains that, “It has been well established that African Americans have a higher risk of hypertension compared with other racial or ethnic groups in the United States.” They reference a hypertension study that suggests that discrimination is the cause. In addition, “African American women face both disproportionate exposure to breast carcinogens and the highest risk of serious health impacts from the disease,” according to Breast Cancer Prevention Partners.While there are physical impacts to the stress caused by microaggressions, it can also have a direct impact on our performance at work. I suffered from severe anxiety when a boss told me that he couldn’t promote me in the HR system or in compensation. Instead, he told me to change my title on LinkedIn and on my business cards so that “senior level clients would take my sales meetings.” While I took the facade of a promotion, I couldn’t feel confident knowing that I was living a lie. My manager acknowledged that I deserved it, yet he wouldn’t take real action.It was at this point in my career when I started applying breathwork, meditation and mindfulness tools to get me through my workdays. I was tired of feeling depleted, anxious and reactive every time something awful happened at work, especially when it was race related. I started going to regular meditation classes. I studied different types of breathwork. Eventually, I traveled to India to take my training to the next level, and learned the true sources of these techniques which have been used for thousands of years.Belly breaths were the easiest and most effective tool when I felt triggered in the moment of an offensive comment at work. Belly breaths stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. While the sympathetic nervous system is the flight or flight reaction, the parasympathetic nervous system is the opposite, responsible for rest and restoring homeostasis. Stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system will undo the work of the sympathetic nervous system in a stressful situation, resulting in a reduction in heart rate and providing a sense of calm. So when a colleague says, “When I see you, I don’t see color,” or “Wow, you’re really articulate! You’re not like the others,” I do a deep belly breath to calm myself, rather than react with my previous possible approaches — thinking less than positive thoughts towards them or reacting with what some might call a "career limiting move."There was a period in my career when I woke up everyday thinking I was going to get fired. A Black woman at my company had been dismissed for speaking up about racial disparities, and while I had not been so vocal, I felt like I was walking on eggshells. To manage this intense anxiety I started to leverage the technique of 4-7-8 breaths, and I continue to use it today for anxiety around watching the news, the safety of the Black men in my life and my own safety. It helped me go to sleep recently when someone wrote “F-- You” on my car parked in a cabin driveway in the mountains of Colorado.There are many moments when I experience incredible anger, and I know that if I don’t release it, it will accumulate and eventually cause some of the health issues I am more prone to as a Black woman. Last summer, a Black woman who was the only person at her company with diversity and inclusion in her title, came to me upset that her CEO didn't consult her in the development of the company’s anti-racism initiatives list. An email went out to the entire company, and he excluded the only person whose expertise and role was inclusion. I was livid, and what got me through it was the breath of fire technique. Not only is it effective in releasing anger, it’s also a powerful detoxifier, ridding the body of toxins and other substances.We can’t change the behavior of our colleagues overnight, but we can change how we react to them. We, Black people, have the power to take back ownership of our well-being, and the time is now.------Zhalisa “Zee” Clarke, is a Harvard Business School graduate and founder of Reclaiming Flow, offering mindfulness training workshops tailored specifically to address the unique challenges that Black women and people of color face at...

If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account here and check out our how-to post to learn more.____For most of us, gratitude is an infrequent term that gets thrown around from mid-November to late-December, only to be shoved under the rug for another year until social media tells us to be thankful again.But for me, gratitude is the norm. And the act of showing recognition and appreciation for the people and opportunities that gave meaning in my life was instilled at a young age by my mother. I didn’t express gratitude because I had to. I did it, simply because it felt really great.Taking a step back and acknowledging why a good moment happens in life adds more value to that moment and makes you realize how big of a role others play in your own happiness — whether it’s an employee, co-worker, significant other, parent, mentor or that random stranger who showed you genuine kindness for no specific reason. These people all deserve our gratitude. And you deserve to experience all of the positivity gratitude can bring into your life. Check out our five gratitude tips for a big boost of good feels in your...

If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account here and check out our how-to post to learn more.____It’s easy to slip into a “ho, ho, hum” frame of mind as we look back on 2020. Let’s face it, between the COVID pandemic and the resultant economic downturn, it was probably one of the toughest years ever. But when the going got tough — and tougher — Black women got going and took charge. We have a lot to be proud of! Black women leaders were at the forefront of the most pressing issues and important movements.Here are the top three times that Black women stepped up to lead our country toward justice and equality for all in...

If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account here and check out our how-to post to learn more.____The year 2020 was one of the most challenging, exhilarating, surprisingly incongruous, heartbreaking, memorable years of our lives, mine included. We faced a global viral pandemic head-on that changed the way we travel and communicate — shuttering jobs, schools and our favorite places for the sake of public health and safety. And we were confronted with the effects of sustained erosions to the great American democratic experiment. Though we are still wondering what relief looks and feels like, we all remain optimistic for a better tomorrow. What a time to be a citizen of this world; we’ve endured so much!Though the arduous year 2020 came to a rolling end and the new year is out the gate with similar momentum, it is so important to remember what we learned in “getting through” it all: Not only is change inevitable, but crisis will not wait for us to be “ready” to receive it. The secret to controlling the narratives of our lives is to evolve in-step with the change and crisis we experience, in real time. Quite literally anticipating the evolution! Doing this successfully is the paradigm-shift difference between a year happening *to us, versus a year happening *for us. “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready” — a beloved Pan-African colloquialism. Yes, y’all, it’s really like that.That shift, as you expected, must start with us, first. We set our vibration; We conduct our energy. Therefore, the change we desire to experience externally must be catalyzed internally within us. This becomes particularly impactful as we melanated people envision what a life free from the harm inflicted both by ourselves and historically oppressive/suppressive forces looks and feels like. After revisiting one of my favorite authors, Audre Lorde, my first step was made pretty plain to me.I’ll always remember where I was when I re-read Audre’s words, “caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” It was July of 2017, I was standing in my beachside loft, at (what I thought was) the height of my career, weighing an astounding 330+ pounds and was severely depressed. While working as a political strategist and fundraiser, I found myself engulfed in my clients and workload so much that I neglected to acknowledge the deteriorating toll it was taking on my health. In my attempts to experience the change I desperately knew I needed, I sought to facilitate change externally instead of being the change. My reality eventually would converge into a supreme ultimatum: work or live. Thankfully, I chose to live — and living for me meant first unplugging from everything, and everyone whose inertia I was attached to. I stepped away from the spotlight and stepped into myself, to confront, assess, un-learn, re-learn and nurture. This decision is what permits me to type these words to you today, and is exactly what tethered me closely to the life I once thought, but now know, is mine for the living.Simple, me-centered acts of self-care were my first step, as it has been and will be for many of you. Implementing self-care into my daily routine made profound and immediately positive impacts on my mood, my hustle, my experiences and ultimately the trajectory of my life. My daily walk became a game of congruency — walking what I was talking and vice versa, in the most literal terms:I wanted to feel alive, so I committed to consuming the nourishment of life. The Result: (decolonized) Veganism. I intentioned to emit the joy I sought out, so I committed to creating space and time for joyful experiences (especially on “work days”).The Result: Less fatigue, fresh ideas and enhanced creativity. I was desperate to be happy, so I committed to unearthing past and present traumas, without judgement, forgiving myself and others of inflictions and harms. The Result: A fail-proof process of releasing all that did not serve me.I needed to feel like my mind and my body were on the same page, so I committed to daily movement, versus “exercise,” and meditation. The Result: I rediscovered my inner athlete, shed over 100 pounds and am no longer afraid of my own thoughts. I desired to have a reciprocal exchange between who I am and what I do. The Result: I rebirthed my businesses into innovative and thriving entities by valuing and transferring my skill set into marketplaces and arenas void of the toxicity that previously made me love what I did but not how I had to do it.And so, I applied this model over and over, for nearly three years, until I felt whole enough to emerge in the Spring of 2020, with an internal infrastructure that has proven to weather the storms of change and crisis as we’ve experienced them collectively. I’m now a woman who understands first hand the significant impacts of a daily commitment to self-care and giving yourself the grace to evolve in-step.When we feel good about ourselves, we absolutely behave differently; we work differently, we speak differently and we carry ourselves differently too. Synergy in wellness and self-care produces peace and assurance in self. We are more confident in our abilities, how we show up in the world, and our motives. I’ve found that optimism is much more accessible when we operate from a space of spiritual, mental and physical congruence. For me, self-care looked a lot different than sage smudging and bubble baths. Taking the time to recalibrate, a privilege that I give thanks for every day, not only saved my life, but it also sharpened my skills, increased my energy and ignited my passion and purpose ablaze. I think often about where I would be and how I would be processing the now, had I not heeded the warnings of 2017.At the root, self-care practices are deeply personal, infinite in option and should be customized to who we are as individuals. Even with our varying routines and remedies, the foundation of self-care will always be built on this: love. Love of self, love of this day, love of each other, love of this life we co-exist in.So, while we pray for this world to change and you scramble to figure out what your own personal revolution looks like, I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on your power to co-create the life you experience, as I did. What would happen if, in the crisis and chaos of it all, you took a moment — or five — to respond instead of react? What would happen if you anticipated your evolution and started becoming today who you envision yourself being...

JAY-Z is investing $10 million in seed money into a fund to benefit BIPOC cannabis business owners hoping to establish themselves in the industry. The 51-year-old said he was moved by the disproportionate number of BIPOC in the marijuana business as compared to the number of Black people penalized or jailed for their use or possession of weed, according to The Wall Street Journal.“It’s really unbelievable how that can happen,” the rap mogul and social philanthropist said. “We were the ones most negatively affected by the war on drugs, and America has turned around and created a business from it that’s worth billions.”In developing the investment fund, the Brooklyn, New York native aims to diversify the legalized cannabis industry by investing in marijuana businesses owned by Black people and other minorities who have been stifled from ownership in the lucrative industry.The WSJ reports that the cannabis industry has grown into a $20 billion market since California first legalized it almost 25 years ago. It is expected to develop into a $70 billion domestic industry by 2030, surpassing the country’s wine market. JAY-Z, via Roc Nation, is collaborating with California cannabis firms Left Coast Ventures and CMG Partners to merge into an organization known as The Parent Company. JAY-Z will serve as the collaborative’s chief visionary officer, according to Cheddar.com. He will be joined on the leadership team by Desiree Perez, the CEO of Carter's Roc Nation brand.“Jay has really expanded from his role as a brand strategist for Caliva to Chief Visionary Officer of The Parent Company,” Steve Allen, CEO of The Parent Company, said. “Really, to oversee the entire brand architecture and we were excited by the products that rolled out in December.”He added, “We’re looking forward to the continued innovation that Mr. Carter and his team are bringing to the cannabis space and really doing so with an eye toward the social equity and social justice components.”In a press release, The Parent Company stated that it will open the “Social Equity Ventures” fund with an initial $10 million and then add at least two percent of its net income from year to year. For each of the potential partnering businesses, the fund is looking to invest up to $1 million to help grow its operation, per the WSJ.The goal for Carter is to use his platform to do “something in a real, concrete way,” where he plays a part in creating positive change in our society."This is an incredible time for this industry,” he began. “The end of cannabis prohibition is here, and The Parent Company will lead the charge to a more expansive and inclusive cannabis industry. We are paving a path forward for a legacy rooted in dignity, justice, care and consistency. The brands we build will redefine growth, social impact and social equity. This is our time. I'm proud and excited to lead the vision of The Parent Company."JAY-Z and rapper Meek Mill joined forces with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to create the Reform Alliance last year, as Blavity previously reported. In October, the prison reform advocacy group celebrated after it successfully lobbied for California Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a new law restricting the length of probation periods for state misdemeanor and felony...

America's Next Top Model was a smash hit during its nearly two-decade run on television.Created by modeling legend Tyra Banks and Black-ish creator Kenya Barris in 2003, the show featured Banks putting aspiring models through the wringer as they sought to achieve their dream of modeling stardom.Fans of the show often look back to episodes to see things they missed or forgot about, and on Thursday fans remembered all of the ridiculous challenges Banks put the contestants through on the show, as Blavity previously reported. tyra had them doing obstacle courses 😭 pic.twitter.com/v0lQ30w1DG— abz (@reveIuves) January 20, 2021 One tweet had fans remembering some of the most outlandish challenges the aspiring models survived, kicking off a day of tweets reminding people of everything that went down on the competition reality show. I love how every couple of months Twitter remembers to randomly drag Tyra Banks. https://t.co/hwu3e6l4ZO— Big Daddy Aliko (@Yasminn_D) January 21, 2021 Here were some of our...

Vice President Kamala Harris gave her first speech in her new role on Wednesday evening, speaking on the National Mall in front of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, about the need for Americans to come together.  "It is my honor to be here, to stand on the shoulders of those who came before, to speak tonight as your vice president. In many ways, this moment embodies our character as a nation. It demonstrates who we are. Even in dark times, we not only dream -- we do," Harris said."We not only see what has been, we see what can be. We shoot for the moon, and then we plant our flag on it. We are bold, fearless and ambitious," the former congresswoman continued. "We are undaunted in our belief that we shall overcome, that we will rise up. This is American aspiration."Harris, who made history as the country's first woman, first Black and first Asian vice president, spoke about the need for Americans to acknowledge the current crises but still look ahead to brighter days. Harris went on to speak about how visionaries throughout American history were able to push forward during times of duress and envision a more heartening future. She referenced former President Abraham Lincoln's work during the Civil War and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s foresight during the Civil Rights Movement as examples of Americans who were still able to aspire for great things during difficult situations. "American aspiration is what drove the women of this nation throughout history to demand equal rights, and the authors of the Bill of Rights to claim freedoms that had rarely been written down before. A great experiment takes great determination, the will to do the work and then the wisdom to keep refining, keep tinkering, keep perfecting," Harris said."The same determination is being realized in America today," she continued. "I see it in the scientists who are transforming the future. I see it in the parents who are nurturing generations to come, in the innovators and the educators, in everyone everywhere who is building a better life for themselves, their families and their communities."The speech took place during the Celebrating America broadcast event to honor the new administration of President Joe Biden. The upbeat, forward-looking tenor of Harris' speech was part of an effort to make the country feel a bit better about the variety of problems the administration is now faced with. The United States set a record for the number of COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday with 4,357 lives lost in just one day, according to The New York Times. Some of the first actions Biden took as the president sought to address the pandemic, and he said his first full day in office will largely be focused on how the government can address COVID-19 and speed up the disbursement of the vaccine. On Thursday, officials within the new Biden administration said they were alarmed to find that former President Donald Trump had effectively no plan for how the federal government should distribute the vaccine, leaving states to largely figure it out on their own, according to CNN."There is nothing for us to rework. We are going to have to build everything from scratch," a source told CNN. Despite the problems facing the current administration, Harris ended her speech by calling on all Americans to see the current crisis as a reason to band together."This is what President Joe Biden has called upon us to summon now: The courage to see beyond crisis, to do what is hard, to do what is good, to unite, to believe in ourselves, believe in our country, believe in what we can do together," Harris...

President Joe Biden had a full schedule on his first day in office, signing at least 17 executive orders and actions that were awaiting his signature. Many of the orders reflect a dramatic shift from former President Donald Trump's administration, largely focusing on inclusivity and policies on climate change, as well as measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic.New: Here’s a breakdown of the 17 executive actions President Biden will sign this afternoon in the Oval. Many directly undo Trump's touted accomplishments. @cbsnews pic.twitter.com/oQSVK5MYWr— Bo Erickson CBS (@BoKnowsNews) January 20, 2021Here are the orders the new president signed on his first day in...

Two of Amanda Gorman's books have reached the top of Amazon's book charts after she delivered a beloved performance during the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. "I AM ON THE FLOOR MY BOOKS ARE #1 & #2 ON AMAZON AFTER 1 DAY! Thank you so much to everyone for supporting me and my words. As Yeats put it: 'For words alone are certain good: Sing, then,'" she wrote on Twitter. I AM ON THE FLOOR MY BOOKS ARE #1 & #2 ON AMAZON AFTER 1 DAY! Thank you so much to everyone for supporting me and my words. As Yeats put it: "For words alone are certain good: Sing, then"— Amanda Gorman (@TheAmandaGorman) January 20, 2021Her two books, The Hill We Climb: Poems and Change Sings: A Children's Anthem, were the top of Amazon's general bestseller book charts, they also topped at least one of Amazon's children's books charts.  Both books will be released on September 21 but that did not stop new fans of Gorman from pre-ordering them in droves.America was in awe when the 22-year-old National Youth Poet Laureate delivered a stirring recitation of her poem, "The Hill We Climb," on Inauguration Day. Some of the country's greatest wordsmiths, like Maya Angelou and Robert Frost, have delivered the inauguration poem, but Gorman is the youngest person to ever deliver a poem at a U.S. inauguration in the country's history. Decked out in a vibrant yellow coat, Gorman spoke passionately about the highs and lows America has underwent."Somehow we've weathered and witnessed, a nation that isn’t broken but simply unfinished. We the successors of a country and a time, Where a skinny Black girl, descended from slaves and raised by a single mother, can dream of becoming president, only to find herself reciting for one," she said."And yes we are far from polished, far from pristine, but that doesn’t mean we are, striving to form a union that is perfect. We are striving to forge a union with purpose," she continued. "To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man."...

Georgia firefighter Andrea Hall led the country in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance during the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday, performing a moving rendition of it in both spoken word and sign language. Firefighter Andrea Hall led the inauguration Pledge of Allegiance before Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in. pic.twitter.com/poOPUoQM3V— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) January 20, 2021 In interviews with the press before the inauguration, it was revealed that Hall made history as the first Black woman to be promoted to fire captain within the South Fulton Fire Rescue Department in Georgia. She is also president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 3920, which supported Biden during the election.  Hall took the stage after Lady Gaga sang the national anthem, and many online were moved by Hall's rendition of the Pledge of Allegiance. In an interview with 11Alive before the inauguration, Hall said she was "thrilled and humbled to represent firefighters and other frontline workers in the state of Georgia and the city of South Fulton.”“It is a privilege and an honor to help usher in a new chapter of leadership for our country,” she added, telling the news outlet that Biden's inauguration team and the general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters both asked her to come to the ceremony and perform the pledge. She's been a firefighter for 28 years. South Fulton Mayor William Edwards said the entire town was proud of Hall.“She represents the best city staff in the state and it is only fitting that she lead our nation in the pledge,” he told 11Alive. Hall also spoke to CNN before the inauguration, telling them that she was promoted to captain in 2004 and wanted to do anything she could to unite the country at a time of immense division. “Everything it expresses, I want to embody that in that moment. And just making sure that I am representing my family, my professional family here in South Fulton, representing the nation, and making sure that they understand the passion from which I speak those words about being indivisible as a nation...because that's what it's going to take to move our country forward,” she said. “This is really about the firefighters and the frontline workers who represent our industry in this country. It is about Fulton and the people who I represent here in the community of people that we serve. It's really about us being on the precipice of moving our country forward to a more united place,” she added. She became the first female firefighter when she joined the force in Albany, Georgia, in 1993, eventually moving over to the South Fulton Fire Rescue Department in 1999. IT'S INAUGURATION EVE! Our city’s very own Fire Captain Andrea Hall will represent us in Washington, D.C. when she delivers the pledge of allegiance at the Biden-Harris Inauguration ceremony tomorrow. Watch on all major networks tomorrow morning beginning at approximately 10am. pic.twitter.com/6u8OW2A2JA— City of South Fulton (@COSFGA) January 19, 2021 The 47-year-old noted how difficult it was to be the first, but said that those who come first have to think outside of themselves and consider how their work will help open doors for the next wave coming behind them.She told The 19th that with being first in something, "there’s a lot of pageantry around it when it’s first announced.""However, you are becoming the torch-bearer for everybody that’s coming behind you. You become the example — for good or bad. Being the first, you know that a lot is riding on your ability to be successful in that role,” she said.  Hall said she practiced the pledge hundreds of times before getting on stage to perform it. She brought her sister with her to the inauguration and told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she was representing far more than herself. "I just am intending to represent, my family, the city of South Fulton, women, African-American women, firefighters and everyone in the nation, well," she said. According to NPR, Hall's rendition was one of the first times the Pledge of Allegiance was also performed in American Sign...

We knew that Black America would be well-represented on the Inauguration Day for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black person and woman to hold the position. But the ceremony ended up highlighting Black folks and culture way more than anyone could have predicted. From powerful words to stunning fashion, here are the seven blackest moments from the...