The historic 46th inauguration ceremony of President Joe Biden, Jr., above left, and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, above right, the first Black and first South Asian woman, was made even more special with the benediction delivered by the Rev. Dr. Silvester Beaman, above center, a longtime friend of the Biden family.
Beaman, who serves as pastor of Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, Delaware, reflected on his participation by saying, “In that moment, I began to feel the significance of standing before a building erected by slaves and on Wednesday, January 6th, desecrated by a radicalized mob.
“However, the legacy of our nation withstood the insurrection and there was a peaceful transfer of power. Therefore, I felt I was representing our African American ancestors, all law-abiding Americans, my faith tradition and our incoming President Joseph R. Biden and Vice President Kamala D. Harris.”
