PIC Announces Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Amanda Gorman, and Others to Join the Inaugural Ceremony on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol
WASHINGTON — Today, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced the participants of the 59th Inaugural Ceremonies on January 20, when Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and Kamala D. Harris will be sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States on the West front of the U.S. Capitol.
The following participants will join the 59th Inaugural Swearing-In Ceremony:
- Invocation – Father Leo J. O’Donovan
- Pledge of Allegiance – Andrea Hall
- National Anthem – Lady Gaga
- Poetry Reading – Amanda Gorman
- Musical Performance – Jennifer Lopez
- Benediction – Reverend Dr. Silvester Beaman
“We are thrilled to announce an inspired group of dynamic participants for the 59th Inaugural Ceremonies. They represent one clear picture of the grand diversity of our great nation and will help honor and celebrate the time-honored traditions of the presidential inauguration as President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris take the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. They are also committed to the President-elect and the Vice-President-elect’s steadfast vision of a new chapter in our American story in which we are an America united in overcoming the deep divisions and challenges facing our people, unifying the country, and restoring the soul of our nation,” said PIC CEO Tony Allen.
Over the course of five days of programming, “America United” activities will honor inaugural traditions while safely allowing more Americans than ever before to participate from their own homes. These activities include, “United We Serve,” a National Day of Service on January 18, Martin Luther King Jr. Day; a nationwide COVID-19 Memorial to Lives Lost on January 19; and the official Inaugural Ceremonies, a wreath laying on Arlington National Cemetery, and a “Parade Across America,” and a “Celebrating America” primetime program on January 20. The PIC will also install an extensive public art display — a “Field of Flags,” which will cover the National Mall up to 13th Street — to represent the American people who are unable to travel to Washington, DC.
PARTICIPANT BIOGRAPHIES
Father Leo J. O’Donovan is an American Jesuit Catholic priest and theologian who served as the 44th President of Georgetown University. Hailing from New York City, he graduated from Georgetown. Father O’Donovan went on to receive advanced degrees from Fordham University and Woodstock College, and received his doctorate in theology from the University of Münster. Father Leo O’Donovan is a longtime friend of the President-Elect and the Biden family.
Andrea Hall is the President of the International Association of Firefighters Local 3920 and a career firefighter with 28 years of dedicated service. She has served in the City of South Fulton Fire and Rescue Department in Fulton County, Georgia since 1999, and she is the first African American woman in the department’s history to be promoted to the rank of Fire Captain in 2004.
Lady Gaga is a one-of-a kind artist, performer and a trailblazer in beauty and fashion. She is also an outspoken activist, philanthropist and supporter of many important issues including mental health, LGBTQ+ rights, HIV/AIDS awareness and body image issues. During the Obama-Biden Administration, she worked closely with President-elect Biden’s “It’s On Us” campaign to address sexual assault on college campuses.
Amanda Gorman made history in 2017 by being named the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate in the United States by UrbanWord and the Library of Congress. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she graduated cum laude from Harvard with a degree in Sociology.
Jennifer Lopez, considered one of the most influential Latin artists in the country, is an award-winning actress, singer, dancer, producer, and businesswoman hailing originally from New York City. Lopez and her partner Alex Rodriguez have been outspoken about the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on Latinos and the need to contain the virus, rebuild the economy, and unify the country.
Reverend Dr. Silvester Beaman is the Pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wilmington, Delaware. Reverend Beaman has known the Biden family for nearly 30 years and is a close confidante and friend of the President-Elect. He was also a consistent ally and community partner of his son, Beau, a decorated officer in the Delaware National Guard and Delaware’s former Attorney General.