My first ANC Meeting as a Commissioner was a couple weeks ago on January 6th. It was a memorable day for many reasons besides the ANC Meeting. I was so excited to get started in the role, but everything was understandably eclipsed by the violent insurrection at the Capitol. It was heartbreaking and infuriating seeing years of building racism, white supremacy, and antisemitism culminate in this violent attack. Although activists warned of this possibility, the security forces that day were overwhelmed and undermined by white supremacists within their ranks.
In the aftermath, I joined other members of the ANC Progressive Women’s Alliance in issuing the following statement:
We were glad to see some hotels and businesses close for the inauguration rather than housing insurrectionists. However, many more hotels did not close. We will remember who stood with the community and who disregarded our pleas and disrespected our community leaders.
I will continue to use my platform to push for responsible safety measures that prioritize our community. I am very concerned by the ongoing militarization of DC. At Chairman Mendelson’s quarterly meeting with ANCs this Monday, I raised these concerns to the Chairman and MPD Chief Contee. Please reach out if you have any concerns about our community’s safety. Together, #WeKeepUsSafe