I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, the city Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once described as “the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States.”

It was in Birmingham that Dr. King’s commitment to nonviolence was brutally tested with fire hoses and attack dogs and mace. And it was there that Dr. King wrote one of his most remarkable works, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”

Dr. King understood that in a democracy, violence reveals weakness, not strength. It’s the last resort for those who know they’re fighting a losing battle; a knee-jerk response by oppressors and bullies who fear the power of the people.

That was exactly what we saw on January 6th, John: weakness. We saw a desperate man resort to bloodshed and violence to defy the will of the people.

Like the brutality in Birmingham, January 6th did not achieve its goal. But our struggle for justice is far from over.

There’s never been a better time to recall the courage of Dr. King and all of the men and women who faced down fire hoses in Birmingham for the cause of freedom.

There's never been a better time to remember that we hold the keys to the kingdom.

Some moments in American history demand unusual courage. This is one of those moments. Let’s meet it together.

— Elaine Luria