On tonight's episode of Basic Black, host Callie Crossley is joined by three guests to discuss Wednesday's presidential inauguration and Kamala Harris becoming the first woman, first Black and first South Asian vice president. Guests include Dr. Yvonne Spicer, Mayor of Framingham; Jeneé Osterheldt, culture columnist for the Boston Globe and creator of “A Beautiful Resistance”; and Radha Natarajan, Executive Director of the New England Innocence Project.
When asked for her reaction to Harris being sworn in as Vice President, Dr. Spicer responded that she, "vacillated between smiling and crying at the same time."
"I knew the ancestors were watching," she said. "All of the ancestors were clapping and cheering her on.”
Watch: Spicer on VP Harris' historic swearing-in
Crossley also asked the guests what holding the new administration accountable for policy changes would look like, Vice President Harris included. Osterheldt responded by invoking the words of Rep. Ayanna Presley, U.S. Representative for Massachusetts' 7th congressional district.
"As our Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley says: ‘Policy is a love language.’ So, how are you going to do that?" said Osterheldt. "And how are we going to do that with our little votes — our everyday votes that make a difference in who is representing us and make sure that power is democratized.”
Watch: Osterheldt on the importance of accountability
Watch the full episode of Basic Black here.
