This is America

Philadelphians understand that every vote should count and that the government should work for all people, regardless of where you come from or the color of your skin. But yesterday white supremacists, stoked by lies from the president and members of the Republican Party, stormed the Capital to disenfranchise the will of voters. This was an attack on our country.

For people in our city watching yesterday’s events, the difference when it came to the preparation and response by police and government was crystal clear. Last year we survived organized and violent militarized police action against protestors in our city fighting for racial justice, police accountability, and housing for the most vulnerable. We saw residential neighborhoods like West Philly flooded with chemical agents and movement leaders like Ant Smith, Jose de Marco, and Nancy Nguyen targeted for harassment and intimidation by the state. But yesterday, we saw the restraint and patience that is never afforded to our communities united in the struggle for justice.

“Yesterday, the veneer was dropped. News pundits and politicians were shocked to learn what black and brown folks had long understood: This is America.”

Yesterday, the veneer was dropped. News pundits and politicians were shocked to learn what black and brown folks had long understood: This is America.

This is an important realization and a necessary wake up call. Deep into the early hours this morning, Congress certified Joe Biden as the next President to be sworn in on January 20th. But white supremacy did not begin or end with Donald Trump, it is the air we breathe. The people who have been conned by Trump have been radicalized enough to plan mass shootings, attempted kidnappings of elected officials, and now, insurrection. Let us be clear, they won’t go away after Inauguration day. 

Together, we will defeat their warped vision of the world, because our vision for a more just and equitable society is supported by the majority of working class people. A majority of Americans support universal healthcare, housing as a human right, and a livable planet. Workers deserve a living wage and a union, families deserve universal child care, and we all deserve mass liberation from a society that wastes money on prisons and police, rather than social services and housing. 

Right now many of us feel deep fear and anger which are valid responses to the America we live in. We need to build significant power together to heal and move toward a better future. It is up to us to build the people-powered movements and organizations that will both out organize the far right and hold the Biden administration accountable to the will of our communities. 

We can’t do this alone. To build the power we need to win, organizations that share our values need more people. Join us in this fight and make Reclaim Philadelphia your political home. By becoming a member of Reclaim Philadelphia today or another Philadelphia organization to ensure that we create a different America together.