Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
The first week of January 2021, I was delighted to commence in my Chief Equity Officer role. Suddenly, the riots of Wednesday, 6th on the United States Capitol transpired and agitated the nation.
For many Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPoC), including myself, who partook in the BLM movement this summer, law enforcement’s frivolous strategy at the Capitol riots was an abrupt notice the inequity still suffered by marginalized people in this country. I hunkered at my desk in aversion during the day, incapable of concentrating and unable to ignore the headlines on social media and news outlets.
The Capitol Historical Context
Dr Kellie Carter Jackson a historian, author, educator, speaker described for Americans in The Atlantic what I was witnessing on television
was not just an insurrection against American democracy—it was also an expression of white supremacy.
What ever your political beliefs we must recognize a couple of key lessons from Wednesday:
- Connivance conjectures and alternative realities are secured in our culture. Fifty-two percent of Republicans said that Trump “rightfully won,” while only 29% said Biden had rightfully won.
- The strong contrast in how law enforcement handled the rioters vs the protestors during social unrest indicates more social justice work has to be accomplished.
- Words matter and they have consequences. Five people lost their lives due to the actions at the Capitol, including Officer Brian Sicknick. May their souls rest in harmony.
