WASHINGTON – At a memorial for the lives taken by COVID-19, President-elect Joe Biden is calling on Americans to remember those lost to the coronavirus and to begin to heal.
Biden said Tuesday night, on the eve of his inauguration, that although it’s “hard sometimes to remember,” it’s “how we heal.”
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, speaking before him, emphasized a similar note of unity. While Americans have been grieving alone for most of the pandemic, Harris said, “Tonight we grieve, and begin healing, together.”
The memorial included an invocation from Cardinal Wilton Gregory, who asked that “our prayer strengthen our awareness of our common humanity and our national unity.” A Detroit nurse, Lori Marie Key, sang “Amazing Grace,” noting that the song gives her strength during hard times.
The remembrance ceremony was held at the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool, which was lit up with 400 lights in honor of the 400,000 Americans who have died from the virus. After Biden’s brief remarks, gospel singer Yolanda Adams sang “Hallelujah.”