Following the events of yesterday that unfolded at the U.S. capitol, we’d like to take a moment to acknowledge what happened, but also the reality of white supremacy in action.
---
An opinion commentary from Téa Tamburo
---
Yesterday, the nation’s Capitol building was engulfed by throngs of President Trump’s supporters, most unmasked and some bearing arms. The rallyists then proceeded to invade the building, in an attempt to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s election certification.
In the weeks leading up to Jan. 6, Mr. Trump rallied his supporters with claims of election fraud. Around noon yesterday, he took the stage and encouraged demonstrations on the National Mall and Capitol Hill. Groups of his supporters and members of the neo-fascist group, Proud Boys, gathered in the masses, surrounding the capitol building. Members of these groups overturned police and even climbed the walls to gain entry to the senate chamber.
These actions are the definition of racial extremists, determined to preserve the status-quo and uphold white supremacy, even at the cost of the nation’s democracy. This demonstration can be easily compared to those of Black Lives Matter protests, last summer. However, the citizens that trespassed the capitol yesterday received very light reprimanding, compared to the brutality the mostly-peaceful protestors who took to the streets last summer experienced.
How is it that ralliers were able to storm the Capitol Building, break windows and threaten the Capitol police? And would this even be a discussion if that crowd were people of colour and bearing arms? Mr. Biden actually addressed this in his speech later that night, saying this was an insurrection and an attempt to prevent the multi-racial governance, leadership and society, which are insisting on affirming the power of white supremacy.
Until we are willing to face the realities of racism and supremacist values, we will never be able to heal, let alone improve in the field of diversity, equity and inclusion. So if now isn’t the right time to speak up, it’s hard to envision when the right time will arrive.