Implicit Bias and the US Capitol Invasion

by | Jan 8, 2021

A Message from Beth Hines, Executive Director

Our work at Community Partners in Action is very much about prison reform and respecting human dignity, but it is much more.

The January 6th events in Washington D.C. are a stark reminder of two of our Country’s root problems — systemic racism and implicit bias — and how it plays out not only in our criminal justice system but all of society.

The U.S. Capitol invaders proudly carried confederate flags, swastikas, and other symbols of white supremacy and hate that are used to intimidate people of color and non-Christian religions. There is no denying that they were treated in a vastly different manner by the police and military presence compared to the peaceful Black Lives Matter protestors in Lafayette Square who were tear-gassed.  

The ongoing suppression of the minority vote and the repeated killings of innocent people of color are just a few very sad and angering examples of the systemic racism in our country.

Five people needlessly died. Law and order were trampled upon. Members of law enforcement and Congress were put in harm’s way. We at Community Partners in Action condemn these cowardly acts, but more so the underlying and persistent barriers that keep our nation’s democracy from being fully legitimate and just.