SURJ condemns the insurrection against a multiracial democracy
SURJ Corvallis’ leadership would like to acknowledge and strongly rebuke the appalling events that took place at our nation’s capital on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. This despicable and terrifying display was a clear attempt to upend democracy in the name of white supremacy, encouraged by a toxic and cowardly leader. What’s more, the initial response by law enforcement and Republican leaders stood in stark contrast to their negative, dismissive, and violent response to the peaceful protests that occurred last summer (and for generations before) to affirm the beauty and intrinsic value of Black lives.
As we know, the mob storming the U.S. Capitol was not an isolated event–the sentiment was echoed at sites of democracy all across this nation, including in Oregon’s own capital. This sentiment has echoed across America since the land was stolen from Indigenous communities, its wealth built on the labor and suffering of enslaved African people.
For SURJ Corvallis, this attack is just another example in a long list that reminds us why it is so urgently necessary to continue our work to dismantle white supremacy within ourselves and within our Oregon communities. We will continue to challenge a political system that has, time and again, curtailed democratic participation through overt and covert means.
Corvallis SURJ 