As part of its anti-racism plan, West End House has committed to regularly acknowledge racial inequities and validate the accompanying feelings of hurt and anger from communities of color, not just when illuminated by the national spotlight.
It has now been over a month since the breach of the Capitol Building on 1/6 and we have yet to see justice served for the violent insurrection inflicted upon on nation’s capital in the aftermath of a free and fair election. We have yet to see investigations into the failure of law enforcement that led to the deaths of five people and trauma for many more.
The largely-white treasonous mob who stormed the Capitol, rather than having been arrested on site, is slowly being tracked down by the FBI. Once arrested, they are requesting (and in some cases receiving) accommodations including organic meals in prison and opportunities to travel to Mexico for a vacation.
We cannot help but see how law enforcement and the justice system default to restraint and support when it comes to white people and yet, in a similar context, brutalize Black people. We saw this disparity during the peaceful protests at Black Lives Matter Plaza this past summer when police officers and National Guard members clad in full riot gear perpetrated aggression and violence on Black bodies.
There are two separate systems of justice in America and Anti-Blackness is at the core of it.
We will continue to speak out when we see injustice, to advocate on behalf of our young people, and to stand for a world that demonstrates humanity, non-violence, and the application of equal justice under the law. We call upon our elected officials to prosecute those who violently broke the law, to hold accountable those who incited this mob, and to fully investigate how plans to prevent this violent insurrection paled in comparison to preparations for prior peaceful protests.
In the words of former Congresswoman and Civil Rights leader Barbara Jordan: “If the society today allows wrongs to go unchallenged, the impression is created that those wrongs have the approval of the majority.”
If after reading this statement you are feeling upset and defensive, we invite you to continue to read and reflect on anti-racism through our 30-day anti-racism challenge, including this resource.
