The black security fences are up again. National Guard troops are on standby. Law enforcement is prepared, leaving nothing to chance. Four years after the Capitol was overtaken in a deadly assault, the country braces itself for the certification of another presidential election. The contrast is stark between the peace that should mark the cornerstone of democracy and the violence that tried to shatter it.
January 6, 2021, stands as a vivid reminder of how close America came to losing its democratic foundation. On that day, a mob driven by baseless claims of election fraud stormed the Capitol in a coordinated attack. Those claims, fueled by Donald Trump, targeted the legitimacy of Black voters in battleground states like Georgia, who had shown up in record numbers to deliver a decisive victory for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. What unfolded was not just an assault on democracy but a racial backlash—a coordinated effort to undermine progress symbolized by the election of the first Black woman vice president.
The physical scars of that day remain for the 140 officers injured in the attack. Some, like Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, lost their lives in the aftermath. As DNC Chair Jaime Harrison reminds us, “The peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of our democracy — especially when elections do not turn in our favor.” His statement reaffirms the commitment to uphold the principles that define this nation, even as those principles were under siege that day.
But January 6 was more than an attack on democratic norms. It was a clear, unapologetic assertion of white power. This wasn’t the white power of burning crosses or men in hoods; it was subtler but no less sinister. It was the power to decide whose votes count and whose do not. It was the power to distort history, to tell stories that erase the contributions of Black and brown people, and to codify exclusion into law.
Congresswoman Alma Adams doesn’t shy away from naming what many refuse to confront. “The 2020 election saw historic participation from Black voters in Georgia and other battleground states, and the result was the election of the first Black woman as Vice President,” Adams said. “The January 6 attack on the Capitol was instigated in part by President Trump’s claims that Black votes were illegitimate. The attack involved multiple far-right, white supremacist groups, and the end goal was to prevent the election of President Biden and Vice President Harris.”
Adams underscores a critical truth: Black political power has always been met with resistance in this country. From Reconstruction to the Civil Rights Movement, every step forward has been met with efforts to claw back progress. The insurrection was no different. It was a visceral response to a changing America, one where power is more evenly distributed, and the voices of marginalized communities are harder to silence.
Just imagine if Kamala Harris had won as the 47th President of the United States. Would today, January 6, 2025, look eerily similar to that dark day in 2021, or would the backlash have escalated to unprecedented levels? What might the nation have witnessed if a Black woman ascended to the presidency, flanked by a white man as her vice president? The idea alone forces a reckoning with the deep-seated resistance to change that persists in the American psyche. Would her historic achievement have been met with even more overt hostility, pushing the boundaries of insurrectionist fervor? These questions linger as a stark reminder of how progress in this country has often been met with violent resistance.
It was clear in 2021 that her election as vice president was enough to ruffle feathers, stirring a toxic brew of racism and misogyny. What does it say about the state of this democracy when the elevation of a Black woman to the second-highest office in the land ignited such fury? One can only wonder what could have unfolded if she had achieved the presidency itself. Would the calls to delegitimize her leadership, rooted in both her race and gender, have become deafening? Would America have shown itself ready to face its history, or would the backlash have revealed just how far we still have to go?
For those inside the Capitol that day, the trauma lingers. Congresswoman Robin Kelly’s account is a chilling reminder of the terror felt by those who were targeted not just as members of Congress but as Black women. “I was in the House Gallery during the attack,” Kelly said. “I crawled on my hands and knees and hid behind chairs and railings praying for safety for my colleagues, staff, and all who work in the Capitol complex. This attack was especially frightening as a Black woman, and I know that many of my colleagues and staff of color have felt a particularly heavy burden in the wake of the insurrection.”
Her words paint a picture of vulnerability and resilience. The Capitol, a symbol of national unity, became a battleground where the safety of elected officials, staff, and law enforcement was anything but guaranteed. Black women, who often bear the brunt of societal burdens, were once again placed in harm’s way, their very presence a challenge to the white supremacist ideals driving the insurrectionists.
The January 6 Committee hearings in 2022 sought to uncover the layers of culpability behind the attack. They painted a damning portrait of Donald Trump’s role in inciting the mob, but they also laid bare the broader societal forces at play. This was not an isolated event but part of an ongoing struggle for power. It’s a struggle rooted in the fight over whose history is told, whose experiences are validated, and whose futures are secured.
As we reflect on the fourth anniversary, the lessons are as urgent as ever. This country’s racial history cannot be ignored, nor can the ways it continues to shape our present. The insurrection was not an aberration; it was a culmination of centuries of systemic inequality. It was the logical extension of a society that has long justified the horrors of slavery, the Klu Klux Klan, and lynching. It was a reminder that progress is fragile and that the fight for racial equity is far from over.
DNC Chair Jaime Harrison’s words ring with resolve: “Democrats remain steadfast in our support of the democratic values our country was founded on and will always work to ensure that our democratic processes and institutions continue to function in service of the American people, whether we win or lose.” His statement speaks to the enduring commitment required to protect democracy, a commitment that must be shared across party lines.
Yet, as Congresswoman Adams points out, this is a fight that requires acknowledgment of uncomfortable truths. “We must remember the January 6 attack and the motivations behind it because we cannot change these attitudes until they are acknowledged by Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike.” Change begins with reckoning—with a willingness to confront the past and its continuing impact on the present.
The fences surrounding the Capitol are a reminder of what is at stake. They are a physical manifestation of the barriers that remain in the fight for justice and equity. But they are also a symbol of resilience—a testament to the determination of those who refuse to let the events of January 6 define this nation.
Four years later, the struggle continues. It is a struggle not just for democracy but for the soul of this country. It is a fight to ensure that Black votes are never questioned, that Black voices are always heard, and that the progress made by Black communities is never erased. It is a fight for the future, grounded in the lessons of the past, with the resolve to never allow history to repeat itself.
About Post Author
