By James Allen Coleman Leyba ’24
Image by Charley Mitchell ’73
On Wednesday, January 18th, 2023, Wes Moore, and Aruna Miller were sworn in as Maryland’s first African American Governor and first South Asian woman Lieutenant Governor, respectively. I had the wonderful opportunity to be able to attend their public inauguration on an unusually warm winter day. But to be truthful, I was hesitant to go at first. I had already missed multiple days of school for previous activities, and like any other junior with no free periods I did not want to make up more work. The night I received the invitation I briefly mentioned the opportunity to my mother over the dinner table and before I could finish my next bite of food, she, without looking up from her plate of food, said “you’re going.” There was no doubt in her mind that I would not attend. Despite my hesitancy, I was excited to go. I had recently started looking into government and foreign affairs work for my college major. So, this would be a perfect opportunity to gain insight into how the political world works.
I must admit, I had not been following the governor race. I barely knew who Wes Moore was. I had heard his name in passing as my family discussed among themselves who they were going to vote for, but beyond that, he was just any other politician. I remember driving past the lawn signs with his face and (now famous) slogan, “Leave no one behind.” But I also saw every other candidate’s lawn sign and catchy slogans. What made Wes Moore stand out? Why was his win so important?
These are questions I had as my school companions and I arrived at the site of the inauguration. I had been to Annapolis before, and I even toured the Senator building, but the environment that day was an entirely different atmosphere. This time, the main street was dressed up in blue and white decorations. Thousands of white chairs were lined up neatly into rows: many would remain empty, not due to a lack of attendance but because audience members opted to stand at the front to be as close to the stage as they could be. My peers and I secured media passes and watched the inauguration standing right to the side of the stage.
When the inauguration began, emcee of the event, Anne Arundel County Executive Stuart Pittman introduced Wes Moore and Aruna Miller. Pittman shared that his ancestor, Dr. George Hume Stewart, was one of the first Governors of Maryland. Stewart was also the one commissioned to have the Governor’s house built where it is today. And it was on the backs of enslaved labor that the house was built. Pittman ended his opening speech with a positive message of change over the years. The governing body of Maryland has become more diverse than it was back when Stewart was governor.
As the crowd began to clap, it clicked for me. I realized why this day is so important. It was more than Wes Moore being the first African American Governor or Aruna Miller being the first South Asian Lieutenant Governor. The inauguration was a symbol of hope. It shows that as minorities, we can do it: we can be governors, we can be senators, we can be anything.
This message of empowerment is why this day was so impactful, especially to the older generation. They never got to see leaders of color as a child; they never knew they could aspire to such a thing. Representation is important in our society. Young POC children getting to see someone like them aspire to more motivates them to aspire to more. I know it does for me. Attending the inauguration inspired me to think about pursuing a career in government work. Watching Wes Moore walk across the stage and take his oath of office, it clicked in me that one day, that could be me. I can be a leader or be the guy who helped him get there. As I walk around on campus of my predominantly white institution, I am reminded that enslaved Africans were beaten and punished for trying to learn to read or write, skills that I came here to this school to develop. As a young African American, I live my life to inspire all those younger than me to know that they can be more.
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