The Inauguration of a new President of the United States is history making to begin with. Some become even more memorable for the message the new president conveys. The Inaugural addresses of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural come to mind.
However, Wednesday’s Inauguration of Joe Biden is unprecedented. The coronavirus pandemic will keep the crowds that usually are in the tens of thousands away, it comes two weeks after an armed insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and Biden will be presiding over a nation probably more divided than any time since the Civil War.
On Wednesday’s Smart Talk, we discuss Biden’s priorities with Christopher Borick, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science and Director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion.
Also, Gettysburg College historian Michael Birkner, Ph.D., joins us to talk about transitioning to a new presidency while the country is so polarized.
“Everyone has a story to tell”
PBS American Portrait is a national story-telling project that invited people across the country to use photos, videos and words to tell their own stories to illustrate who we are as a people.
WITF is participating in this digital storytelling project and produced a television special that will star the people of Central Pennsylvania in their own words. WITF is hosting a virtual sneak preview screening of our local special on Thursday, January 21 at 7pm. The production will air on WITF-TV on January 25 at 9pm.
Keira McGuire, health reporter and multimedia producer for WITF, joins Smart Talk Wednesday to share details.
Visit PBS American Portrait and follow the conversation at #AmericanPortraitPBS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to view the thousands of national stories already submitted. This production is supported by Presbyterian Senior Living.
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