Dear John,

One year ago, former President Trump's assault against the long-standing peaceful transfer of power culminated in the Capitol insurrection, which he incited. What followed was one of the darkest days in American history as a mob led by white supremacists stormed the Capitol Building. Trump’s refusal to concede defeat fueled the awful events of that day, but he was not the sole culprit. Other Republican officials, including members of Congress, were equally responsible by questioning the integrity of the elections and election officials. Many have since sought to downplay the insurrection as a peaceful protest by patriots with legitimate grievances.

The events of January 6 are perhaps the most violent example of an ongoing campaign to suppress the will of the American people via undemocratic means. But efforts have been underway to curb voting rights by misusing the democratic process. In 2021, 19 states enacted 33 laws that will make it harder for Americans to vote. In some states, someone can be charged with a crime for providing food or water to voters waiting in line to vote.

This is why Emgage Action will dedicate 2022 to confronting this dual threat to our democracy by focusing on countering White Supremacy and protecting voting rights. If left unchecked, these threats can and will undermine our social fabric and democratic institutions.

Emgage is supportive of federal voting rights protection including the For the People Act, Freedom to Vote, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2021. These bills would ensure that states have early voting, make Election Day a public holiday and secure the availability of mail-in voting, all of which are necessary measures to combat the actions taken by some state legislatures.

Washington, U.S, January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

January 6 also exposed the double standard of focusing 20 years of national security resources against Muslim, Arab, Black, and Brown communities while ignoring the threat of White Supremacy.

Despite overwhelming evidence identifying White Supremacy as the greatest domestic threat, government agencies and law enforcement disproportionately target, surveil, and harass Muslim Americans and Black and Brown communities.

In 2021, Emgage Action and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) released a report on the disproportionate application of domestic terrorism statutes against Muslim, Black and Brown communities. This year, Emgage Action will continue to engage law enforcement and national security agencies to apply the same standards to all terrorism prosecution, irrespective of the ethnicity or religion of perpetrators. Check out our full report here.

Today, we commemorate the events of January 6 and thank the Capitol police who stopped the insurrectionists, including heroes such as officer Eugene Goodman. Most importantly, we recognize the work that lies ahead to safeguard our pluralistic democracy and the health of our diverse communities.

Sincerely,

Wa'el Alzayat

Emgage Action CEO