Washington, D.C. – In response to the one year anniversary of the deadly white supremacist attack on the U.S. Capitol, Greisa Martinez Rosas, Executive Director of United We Dream Action, said:
“January 6 will forever be a reminder that when the power of Black, brown, and immigrant communities grows, the systems of white supremacy are threatened and will fight back. After four years of the Trump administration’s blatant lies and inhumane policies, millions of Black, brown, and young voters showed up in record numbers. Others, including immigrant youth, organized outside elected officials’ offices, made millions of calls, and put our bodies on the line to defeat Trump. We have always believed our leadership and our vision for the future can and will enact a world where all people can live freely and with dignity.
From the powerful Black-led uprisings demanding racial justice in the Summer of 2020 to the display of our political power that same year in November white supremacists have felt their grips on power threatened, and tried at every turn to deny our human rights and subvert our communities’ growing power. The Capitol riot was a calculated and premeditated example of this. With the 2022 midterms approaching, these ongoing threats to the lives of Black, brown, and immigrant communities will continue unless we come together in a collective effort to defend our democracy, combat disinformation, and defeat the systems of white supremacy piece by piece. We must understand that our progressive visions are interconnected. No form of justice —whether it is immigrant justice, climate justice, economic justice, or other— can be achieved without racial justice. Immigrant youth are led by the discipline of hope, and are committed to fighting for a future where everyone is able to live free and thrive.”