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Saskatoon resident Paula Collins did plenty of celebrating Wednesday as she watched the United States presidential inauguration with a special sense of pride.
Raised in Kentucky, Collins has spent the past five decades watching her homeland closely.
As she watched Vice-President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden be sworn into office to officially begin their duties, Collins likened the day to Barack Obama becoming president.
“A very proud moment,” Collins said. “That was very, very exciting for me having the first Black person be a president. Now with Kamala Harris being the first Black and South Asian woman (as vice-president) too, I’m so proud.
Being a woman of colour, Collins couldn’t overstate what the images of Harris being sworn in mean to people across the world.
“There is change. There is hope for young kids who aspire to run for office,” she said. “There is excitement. Empowerment for women in general.”
Collins said Wednesday’s historic day also means a lot for men around the world being able to see strong and passionate female leaders, but admits there is plenty of work ahead for her home country.
In a four-year presidency under Donald Trump dominated by division and conflict between his supporters and others, Collins warned those same issues aren’t exclusive to the United States.
“The division is just not in the United States, it’s here in Canada. This is not an isolated situation,” she said, pointing to the struggles, injustices and hardships the last four years revealed.
“You can fight hard, you can strive, you can become who you want to be but don’t tear people down on your way getting there.”
Collins said she will remember the last four years as “difficult.” But Wednesday’s celebrations in Washington, D.C., don’t just mark the end of Trump’s leadership, they signify a new beginning for the country.
“Now we can make some changes,” she said. “I just feel that now we can move forward. I hope that people who are not happy about someone new in office (will) empathize, and that the last four years were not all positive.”
