PRE-INAUGURAL
FIELD OF FLAGS

Nearly 200,000 flags have been installed on the National Mall in advance of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. The flags—which denote every state and territory, as do 56 pillars of light—are meant to represent Americans unable to attend Wednesday's inauguration due to coronavirus and security concerns.

The spectacular display of light and color brings to mind this passage from Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “Strength to Love” speech: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”