The Enduring Power of ‘Amazing Grace’ and What It Says About the Presidency
In his inauguration speech, President Joe Biden called for bringing unity to what we all know is a deeply hurt, deeply divided country. Right after the president spoke, country music star Garth Brooks sang “Amazing Grace.” Maybe more than any other popular song, “Amazing Grace” has become a source of strength – and solace – for many of our country’s presidents when things get tough. KQED’s Arts and Culture Reporter Chloe Veltman spoke to a number of California artists with strong ties to the song about its enduring power, and what all of us, including our leaders, can learn from its message.
'Blasian' Family Reacts to Kamala Harris's Inauguration
We drop in on a family excitedly watching the inauguration of Vice President Kamala Harris with their two young daughters. Joti Singh is Indian-American, and her husband Bongo Sidibe is an immigrant from Guinea. Neither of them grew up as African-American, yet, like Harris, they know their girls will be perceived that way. They are raising them as “Blasians” in the Bay Area. We talk with the Singh-Sidibe family about their reactions to Kamala Harris's inauguration, and preview a series of episodes we're launching over the next few months using Harris as a lens to explore questions of race and identity, and California history.
‘Get Out There and Get Involved’ How Students at One Watts High School Became Agents for Change
One of the highlights of the inauguration this week was hearing from National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman. Her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” evoked the deadly insurrection at the Capitol, and appealed for bravery in the face of darkness. Using language to empower is something Gorman says she learned from her mother, a middle school teacher in Watts. This week another school in Watts — Locke College Preparatory Academy — has been looking for ways to empower students in the aftermath of the violence in Washington. KQED’s education reporter Vanessa Rancaño says the school is making space for students to take on leadership roles and create the change they want to see.