(Originally published for The Minnie Kinney Blog February 3, 2017)
In September 2016, my husband and I took a trip to Washington D.C. to visit my sister in law. Joe, my husband, lived in D.C. for the first year we were together so it was great to be back and say a hello to a city that I love so much and called my second home. We even considered making Washington D.C. our permanent home in late 2013, but alas here we are in New York City forever!
Fast forward to today. It's February 2017 and I am sitting at my laptop typing this up while I watch the news. I'm finally getting around to sharing these images that I took just a little over four months ago. It feels like it's been a year since then.
So much has changed in this country since the day I took these photographs. Not only between November and January, but specifically in the last two weeks. Tomorrow will be Day 14 of the new administration in the White House and every day feels like a chaotic tornado with no end in sight.
I am a progressive and I am politically active in my community. But I am also a business owner and I am struggling how to navigate. How do I balance my work, life, and opinions as a concerned citizen and as artist during such an important and scary time in our nation's history? "I can't keep quiet." It's early still in this new era of uncertainty, so for now I will continue to show up, take photographs, stand up for what I believe to be right, and tell the stories of the world around me.
Rewind to September 2016. It was scorchingly hot the weekend we traveled to Washington. I have always been a history buff and political junkie. Growing up wanting to perhaps be a political operative, but decided to go to school for acting so I could play one in the movies. Ended up doing neither. Always fascinated by the historic buildings of Washington D.C., I have had a few experiences on my bucket list. The United States Capitol Building, The Supreme Court, and The White House.
Luckily, I got to cross off two with thanks to Republican Senator Dean Heller and his wonderful staffers!
Our good friend Victoria works for Senator Heller and set up the tour of a lifetime for us. Ian the Intern took us on a personalized venture through United States Capitol Building, and even treated us to the infamous underground Senate Subway! Ian the Intern was a wealth of knowledge and I am so grateful to him for his time and patience. I still feel a little bad that I wore my Hillary Clinton campaign hat to the office, but I made sure to take it off as soon as I got there. Senator Heller was not supportive of the Republican Presidential candidate, so I felt it was safe to at least have it in my bag.
I wish I'd taken more notes, but alas the U.S. Capitol website has lots of great info to review that I will cite here!
Take a trip down memory lane to a time when the reality of the First Woman President of the United States seemed like it was just around the corner.
All images © Michelle Kinney / Minnie Kinney LLC
Our Visit to the U.S. Capitol Building
Thank you again to Ian the Intern, Victoria, and Senator Dean Heller for a day we will never ever forget. Your generosity and hospitality will always be greatly appreciated.