Winds of change: Hispanic justice Sonia Sotomayor to swear in Kamala Harris as first woman VP

In a ceremony that projects a changing America, Kamala Harris, the first woman of color to become vice president, will be sworn in by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first woman of color to sit on the Supreme Court, reported New York Times. Kamala Harris will be sworn in as second in command on Wednesday. The Vice-President chose Justice Sonia Sotomayor to swear her in on Wednesday. The pair also share a background as former prosecutors. Harris said Justice Sonia Sotomayor is someone she looked up to. “Judge Sonia Sotomayor has fought for the voices of the people ever since her first case voting against corporations in Citizens United,” wrote Harris wrote on Twitter. “As a critical voice on the bench, she’s showing all our children what’s possible.” Sotomayor was confirmed to the Supreme Court in 2009, becoming the first Hispanic and third female justice in US Supreme Court history. Sotomayor was nominated by President Barack Obama to the Supreme Court and has served as Justice since 2009. She also swore in Joe Biden as vice president for his second term in January 2013. Joe Biden and Harris will be sworn in as President and Vice President on the West Front of the US Capitol on January 20.

Kamala Harris will make history for being the first female, first Black, and first South Asian vice president when she's sworn in on Wednesday. Harris will take her oath using two Bibles, one of a former neighbor and family friend of Harris,' Regina Shelton, and another that belonged to Thurgood Marshall, the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court, reported ABC7. The Vice-President-elect described Regina Shelton as a second mother to her and said they often remained at Shelton's home after school as their mother, the late Shyamala Gopalan, worked as a breast cancer researcher. Shelton lived two doors from Harris' home. Harris had also used Shelton's Bible to take the oath of office as attorney general of California and Senator. "In office and into the fight, I carry Mrs. Shelton with me always," wrote Harris in an op-ed for Bustle titled, "Without This Woman, I Wouldn't Be The Senator I Am Today."

"Mrs. Shelton would bring her Bible to church every Sunday," wrote Harris. "Sitting alongside her, I was introduced to the teachings of that Bible. My earliest memories were of a loving God, a God who asked us to 'speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves' and to 'defend the rights of the poor and needy.' This is where I learned that 'faith' is a verb, something we must live and demonstrate through our actions."

The Vice-President-elect cited Thurgood Marshall as a childhood hero of mine. "Thurgood Marshall and the work that he did is ... really one of the main reasons I wanted to be a lawyer. Thurgood was a fighter, he was a boxer in the courtroom," wrote Kamala Harris. "As a daughter of parents who were active in the civil rights movement, I knew that the fight for civil rights, the fight for equality, the fight for justice is going to take place in many ways, but one of the most significant ways (is) by lawyers understanding the power of their advocacy to make change and to make reform happen," added Harris.

Kamala Harris has been a vocal critic of the President and called him out on many issues over the past. She labeled Trump a predator during her campaign for President. "I will tell you we have a predator living in the White House," she said, reported Global News. "They prey on the vulnerable. They prey on those who they assume are weak. They prey on those they assume are desperate. And the thing about predators is this — they're cowards."

Following riots on Capitol Hill, the authorities have ramped up security to ensure a safe inauguration. The Trump-incited mob stormed Capitol Hill causing the death of five people including a cop. The National Park Service has announced that the National Mall will be closed to the general public on Inauguration Day due to security concerns. When asked about the safety concerns in the run up to the inauguration, said Harris, reported Yahoo News. "I think we cannot yield to those who would try and make us afraid of who we are."