January 6, 2021.

What a way to start our new year. Different year, same foolishness, same system, and same racism. This afternoon, I watched hundreds of Trump supporters storm the U.S. capitol building chanting, “this election was stolen,” “Trump won,” “This is our world,” and plenty more.

See, there are a million things going on in my head like, where’s the national guard? How were they even allowed to get so far into the capitol building? Or, this doesn’t look like this past summer when the capitol’s security was in full military-grade riot gear for Black Lives Matter protests.

Donald Trump, where’s the law and order you said you provided for America?

I’m outraged, just like many of my peers. Today showed once again what America will and will not tolerate based on the color of your skin and the intent of your actions. I watched police officers who are supposed to “protect” all the people of this country take pictures with men who stormed, broke in, and violently vandalized the capitol.

Quite honestly, with me being outraged with America for the thousandth time, I am not surprised. I’m not surprised because Black people who look just like me get killed while sleeping, jogging, driving, playing with toys, walking, peacefully protesting — we even get killed for breathing, too. I’m not surprised that the tanks won’t start, the tear gas won’t launch, the guns are suddenly jammed, and the batons clearly went soft when it comes to white people being upset. How come you don’t consider these “protestors” terrorists like you did the people of Black Lives Matter, even though 95% of the protests were peaceful. According to U.S. Crisis Monitor: “Between 24 May and 22 August, ACLED records more than 10,600 demonstration events across the country. Over 10,100 of these — or nearly 95% — involve peaceful protesters.”

I guess this is America. Actually, I don’t guess: This is America. Well, America, let me ask you a few questions. How do you let a mob storm the U.S. Capitol? How do you go on the news and report these people as simple protestors, but when Black people are peacefully protesting outside of the capitol we are called thugs? 

Let’s break down what the word “thug” really means. Thuggery, according to Oxford Dictionary, is violent behavior, especially of a criminal nature. These acts shown here today truly fit the description of what a thug really is, and not what you’ve been trying to paint Black and brown people to be. America, it’s hard for me to believe that this is any coincidence or anything you couldn’t have expected. You allowed this to happen. 

See, America, this is another wake-up call for what you support on a consistent basis violent or not. The support you have for hypocrisy, systematic racism, and blatant injustice. So, America, how will you react to this one? 

It was clear during the summer that there was a concern of property over people, during the Black Lives Matter protests. Yet, it’s also clear that there has been damage to property today at the capitol: Do you still care about it that much? How will you hold these violent pro-Trump supporters accountable for the damage, distress, and risk they caused? I wouldn’t be surprised if you sat here and talked about it for a few days and then went quiet again. I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw another Black man be prosecuted for a crime before I see any of the white men there. I wouldn’t be surprised if this violence and violent trespassing was covered up or supported due to the violators being so “patriotic.” If this is what patriotic means to you, then the word thuggery deserves to be right beside it.

January 6, 2021, the same foolishness, same system, same racism. This is America.