The Racist Roots of the Capitol Insurrection
On NPR's On Point, we discuss race, racism and the role it played in last week's attack on the Capitol.
The insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 supported a centuries-long American project—racism and white supremacy.
“Where was racism or white supremacy on display?” some might ask?
It was evident in the aesthetics: the almost exclusively white mob that attacked the Capitol, the haunting image of a man carrying around the Confederate battle flag within the halls of Congress, the anti-Semitic t-shirts, and more.
Racism and white supremacy were also part of the larger project of the insurrection—to overturn a presidential election in which Black and brown voters proved pivotal in winning the race for Joe Biden and denying Donald Trump a second term.
I got to talk about the racial elements of the insurrection as well as their ties to religion. It was an honor to join the host of NPR’s “On Point” program, Meghna Chakrabarti, and my fellow guests, Brittany Packnett Cunningham and Dr. Keisha Blain.
Listen to the whole episode, but my portion starts at the 20-minute mark.