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“We are off the grid of the trajectory of American history.” – Jill Lepore
With respect to Dr. Lepore, no we are not.
With respect to Dr. Lepore, no we are not.
What we witnessed two days ago, domestic terrorists laying siege to the Capitol in an attempted coup is the next step of both what we’ve witnessed in the last four years, and the last four hundred.
Among the many things on display on the Capitol steps on Wednesday was white supremacy, both in the motivation of the insurrectionists and how they were treated.
As we decry the white supremacists who laid siege to the Capitol, it is important to remember that white supremacy does not only exist at the extremes.
It exists in the halls of power without insurrectionists.
It exists in daily interactions. https://nursingclio.org/2020/06/08/asymptomatic-lethality-cooper-covid-19-and-the-potential-for-black-death/
It exists in the halls of power without insurrectionists.
It exists in daily interactions. https://nursingclio.org/2020/06/08/asymptomatic-lethality-cooper-covid-19-and-the-potential-for-black-death/
Wednesday’s rally was principally organized by Women for Trump. Amid the displays of toxic masculinity we witnessed Wednesday (treason while dressed as a Viking, really?), we cannot forget that white women have long served as a backbone of white supremacy. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/02/opinion/sunday/white-supremacy-forgot-women.html
Indeed, as we compare Wednesday’s despicable scenes to historic moments and peaceful protests we hold dear in our national narrative, we must recognize the role of white supremacy in those moments. This is the American trajectory, and we must do better. https://nursingclio.org/2017/01/05/we-can-do-better-than-the-suffragists/
Speaking of protest history, let us be clear: while not all protests are peaceful, what we saw yesterday at the Capitol was not a protest.
It was an attempted coup. https://twitter.com/revrrlewis/status/1347161434048884737
It was an attempted coup. https://twitter.com/revrrlewis/status/1347161434048884737
We should recognize a coup. Americans have contributed to coups in other countries for decades. As the viral tweet says: “Due to the COVID travel restrictions US had to orchestrate a coup locally this year." There's even a (really long) Wikipedia article.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in_regime_change
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in_regime_change
Wednesday’s insurrection was an attempt to interfere with the peaceful transition of power. Again, this is sadly not new. Smokey, backroom agreements are a cliché for a reason. (Even Lindsey Graham knows it, as his remarks Wednesday reflected.) https://digpodcast.org/2021/01/07/election-of-1876/
So no, this is not outside of the trajectory of American history.
However, Lepore’s remarks do remind us of another quote: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but bends towards justice.”
We’re not sure if it bends on its own. It’s up to all of us to bend it.
However, Lepore’s remarks do remind us of another quote: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but bends towards justice.”
We’re not sure if it bends on its own. It’s up to all of us to bend it.
We do believe telling accurate, complex, inclusive history is part of the bending.
For those of you teaching these events as they unfold (or simply teaching as events unfold), @AHAhistorians have compiled some resources. https://www.historians.org/news-and-advocacy/everything-has-a-history/the-assault-on-the-capitol-in-historical-perspective-resources-for-educators
For those of you teaching these events as they unfold (or simply teaching as events unfold), @AHAhistorians have compiled some resources. https://www.historians.org/news-and-advocacy/everything-has-a-history/the-assault-on-the-capitol-in-historical-perspective-resources-for-educators
