DAY ONE + a Playlist
Words by: Maggie Laubscher | Music by: Abby Yemm
Happy Inauguration Day, Nellies! It’s been four very long years in the making. We are ready to turn the page, to start a new season, to leave the current leaders behind. Yes, the work is not over just because a new figurehead is at the helm. But it is a start. Welcome, President Biden and Vice-President Harris. We are so happy you are here.
Right now, the Senate is equally divided, with 50 Republican senators and 50 Democrats. So Kamala - who leads the Senate as VP - can break a tie vote in favor of Democrats. Change is due and it is coming. It will be slower and messier than we would all like, to be sure, but it is coming.
So begins the first 100 days. These first 100 days in a presidency became significant when Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in 1933. He steamrolled through protocol to pass 76 new laws in his first 100 days. Ever since, the first 100 days have been closely watched by the public. Here are President Biden’s goals for his first 100 days:
1. Get COVID-19 under control
2. Give more stimulus checks + unemployment benefits
3. Create 5 million jobs
4. Tweak Obamacare
5. Raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy
6. Reduce, forgive or extend student loans
7. Rejoin the Paris climate accord
8. Make U.S. citizenship easier to achieve
9. Make the DACA program permanent
10. Reunite families separated at the border
11. Lift travel restrictions in Muslim-majority countries from traveling or immigrating to the U.S.
12. Overhaul the national police
13. Pass the SAFE Justice Act, which reduces mandatory sentencing and repeat offenders
14. Host a conference for democracy and climate change
15. Enact his clean energy plan to get our country to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050
So here we are! Cheers to our new leaders. May they move swiftly and justly for our country. Even in difficult times, it’s good to celebrate. Even when things are not perfect, it’s important to say thank you. Here are some ways we are honoring the day:
One of our favorite rituals is coming together for a group meal. It’s about shared food and opinions and love. While our feast guests must be smaller right now, we can still feast within our homes, with the inauguration news as the backdrop. We will set the table and make it fancy and order in from one of our go-to spots. You could also cook your favorite comfort foods, if you’re in the mood. Either way, today is worth making special.
(image credit: Cultivare Greens & Grains Instagram account)
Our country is not perfect, but it is ours. It reminds me of what Isabel Wilkerson said in her book Caste, which we referenced last week. Our country is our responsibility, and today marks a new season. Let’s mark it by hanging an American flag. The flag was not meant to be a partisan tool. The flag is for all of us.
(image credit: Bennett Art Instagram account)
In her 1966 book Acorn, Yoko Ono published instructional poems for life. They are amazing and we want to try them all. Today seems a fitting day for a restart and fresh outlook. Let’s start anew, Nellies. Here are all the cleansings, plus the first one to get you started:
CLEANING PIECE I
Write down a sad memory. Put it in a box.
Burn the box and sprinkle the ashes in the field.
You may give some ashes to a friend who shared the sadness.
or order one from Billie’s Grocery ;). Either way, get yourself a cake, Nellies. It’s a celebration! This election was fair and hard won. Let’s indulge and toast to the new.
(image credit: The Sweet Feminist Instagram account)
Today is a good day to give to others. If you can, consider donating to Campaign Zero, a national nonprofit creating research-based policy solutions to end police brutality, or to Unbound, a local nonprofit that helps families overcome poverty.
