Statement on the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol Building Riot

The Alaska Black Caucus releases the following statement from ABC President/CEO Celeste Hodge Growden on the senseless acts of violence attacking our democracy:

“On January 6, 2021, the Alaska Black Caucus, along with the rest of the world, witnessed violence, reckless abandon and riotous behavior carried out by domestic terrorists. We unequivocally condemn these acts and those who incited the violence. The acts conducted in our nation’s capital city were the manifestation and culmination of reckless leadership, a pervasive misuse of power, and anarchy. Moreover, it brought with it the undercurrent of deep racial hatred. This on full display as the rioters carried Confederate flags, hung nooses, and paraded white supremacist symbols. While done under the baseless guise of voting fraud, these scenes highlight a key point… when these rioters decree, ‘Election Fraud’, what they really are insinuating is that too many Black people voted. Even before the election results were in, these individuals settled on ‘count every legal vote’ as their mantra — at least in cities like Atlanta, Detroit, or Philadelphia, all of which have a large, if not majority, of Black residents. This declaration is a crucial difference from “count every vote” and service to charge illegality in service of eliminating Black votes.

We at the Alaska Black Caucus serve to protect the Constitution Rights of Black Alaskans. This includes our right to vote! The seditious and unwarranted acts that occurred yesterday will not deter us from our mission. We charge our lawmakers to take swift action to hold those accountable and continue to protect the Black community and the Black vote.”