This Was an Outrage – and There’s Work To Be Done.

January 8, 2021
Category: News
Tags: Community, Diversity, Equity, History, Inclusion, Interfaith, Open Minds Respectful Voices, Representation, Respect,

A photograph of the capitol insurrection with hundreds of White adults in a crowd with smoke and various flags that says, "Trump 2020," " Women for Trump," and "Come and Take it."

We were shocked, angry, and saddened by the attack on the United States Capitol on Wednesday. Our Capitol Building was sieged by insurrectionists, many of whom belong to white supremacist hate groups or espouse white supremacist ideology.

History and recent events show us that if these people had been Black or other people of color, they would have been met with stronger defenses and even violence. We urge you to consider the difference between responses to last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests and the responses to and rhetoric used to discuss the criminal acts we witnessed yesterday.

Racism is systemic and apparent at every level of our government. It must be addressed NOW. This is the time. There is so much at stake – up to and including the very fabric of our democracy.

NCCJ is here to support and walk with you in this mission.

In the coming days, many of us may encounter situations where our Open Minds, Respective Voices approach will be invaluable. We urge you to reference these practices and use them in your conversations.

As we saw yesterday, the words we use matter. Words can have the power to divide or unite, to incite violence or to inspire peace. Let’s be thoughtful about what we say, and how we say it.

We pray for peace and unity in our country. We pray for justice and respect for all people. We pray for an end to racism and violence.

There is work to be done. Each of us must follow through on our prayers and good intentions by taking action to oppose bias, bigotry and racism and foster respect and compassion. We urge you to do the same.

Upcoming opportunities to partner with NCCJ to create more compassionate communities include:

Tuesday, January 12 | 12 – 1:30pm | “From Diversity & Inclusion to Racial Equity” 8:46 Series Webinar featuring local Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officers. For more information and to register, click here.
Wednesday, January 27 | 12-1:00pm | Open Minds, Respectful Voices Community Learning Session. For more information and to register, click here.

Please stay in touch with us through our social media (Instagram and Facebook) or here on our blog for more information and other ways to partner with NCCJ.