United States’ stark racial inequality was on display that fateful day

Jan 12, 2021 Letters

Dear Editor,

On January 6, 2021 the entire world looked on in unmitigated disbelief, if not embarrassment at what was playing out on their television screens, and of all places, at the Capitol Building. A mob of thousands of Donald Trump’s extremist supporters pushed their way into the U.S. Capitol, breaking windows, running through the halls of power, violently trying to reverse the outcome of a democratic election. The most striking part of it all was the joy, and sense of entitlement emblazoned across the faces of the protesters, insurrectionists, domestic terrorists or whatever name may eventually be applied to them on account of their behaviour and their skin colour. In remarks from Wilmington, Delaware on Thursday, President-elect Joe Biden said,
“They were a riotous mob. Insurrectionists! Domestic terrorists! It’s that basic. It’s that simple”.
If nobody ever understood what White Privilege is, then look at the entire incident. What unfolded once the protesters got inside the building is one for the history books. Pictures show White protesters standing on statues inside the building, even placing a MAGA (Make America Great Again) hat on the statue of Gerald Ford, holding a Trump flag and posing for pictures. Others can be seen sitting at the elected officials’ desks, smoking E-cigarettes, feet propped up and making phone calls. Conversely, more photos show armed guards barricaded with lawmakers on the Senate floor, with a desk against the door trying to keep protesters outside, while pointing guns – but not shooting. Repeated for emphasis—pointing guns not shooting.
Just for a nanosecond, lose sight of reality and imagine if the protesters were Black. Like the Notorious B.I.G. said in one of his songs, “There’s gonna be a lot of slow singing and flower bringing,” because there would have been many funerals to attend. How prophetic!
Let us refrain from asking the inane and vacuous question, what if President Trump was Black? And even worse, what if the protesters were Black? He is not, will never be, and the obvious answer is well known by us all. Get this straight, on your plate and consider it your fate–If hundreds of Black folks would have stormed the Capitol Building, then hundreds of body bags and toe tags would have been on the scene. Plainly put, it would have been a different story.
Joe Biden in a post-action speech said, “No one can tell me that if it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protesting yesterday, they wouldn’t have been treated very, very differently from the mob of thugs that stormed the Capitol.”
Black people should clearly see that they can never do what white folks do. Many Black people haven’t realized what Black Power really means.
Racism remains on the rise in America and it requires both a “Miracle on 34th Street” and an “Act of Congress” to put the country back on track, or at least, better than it’s been the last four years. As Black Lives Matter protests persist worldwide, hatred and hostility toward Black people continue to leave deep scars. President-elect Joe Biden will have his hands full, trying to hop over the muddy puddle left in front of the White House by its former tenants.
The world watched on as the unfolding chaos displayed not only white privilege but also white supremacy in action, a stark reminder of the gross disparities in the manner how Black people and white people are treated by law enforcement. The response from law enforcement was a blatant display of systemic racism.
Take it or leave it. Blacks need to be aware as the truth becomes even more clear: that there are two Americas with two standards, one where the Whites are always Right and the other where Blacks are always under attack, and repeatedly made to pick up the slack. Confirmation of this latter playing out in predominantly Black Capitol workers cleaning up the destruction left behind by the insurrectionists.

Yours truly,
Y. Sam