Response to January 2021 Capitol Riots

Words matter. Actions matter. Democracy matters. Justice and equity matter.

Democracy matters in Georgia (and we're thankful for and inspired by our Fellows and partners who've been working on the election and voting rights there over the past months!), and it matters across the country and beyond. So many of you make your work, your volunteering, and your life about protecting and engaging in our democracy. Thank you.

At the Capitol, we saw a violent attack on our democracy, incited by President Trump’s words and actions, and we saw the continued stark, inequitable, and dangerous contrast in the police response between white rioters/terrorists and Black and Brown peaceful protestors.

This only heightens our commitment to support our Segal Fellows’ civic engagement, to help develop strong citizen leaders, to focus on antiracism work and equity, and to continue to strengthen the way our Segal Network bands together to pursue change and take action.

Last week, we gathered with Fellows to discuss the week’s events and the larger systemic issues and ongoing challenges they tie into, as well as our opportunities to move forward and pursue justice. Let’s keep moving forward together.

Fellows and Program staff gathered for a reflection on the events that transpired during the 1/6/21 Capitol Riots

Brandeis University's Response to Capitol Riots

1/7/2021

Yesterday we witnessed an assault not only on the Capitol, but also on our nation’s democratic institutions, established processes, and the rule of law. These cornerstones of government sustain our democracy, yet we are reminded that they are fragile, even in this, the world’s oldest constitutional democracy.

Regardless of our backgrounds, political affiliations, or personal ideologies, it is incumbent upon all of us to condemn these acts of violence, rooted in lies that have gone unchallenged by too many and for too long. It is our role to speak out in support of our nation’s democratic institutions and values — the same values that inspired Brandeis’ founders to establish a university committed to justice and the pursuit of truth.

In this time of uncertainty, each of us must play a role in helping to repair our frayed democracy — by engaging one another in debate, through our research, our teaching and learning, and through an unwavering commitment to facts, the rule of law, and respect for difference of opinion.

Sincerely,

Ronald D. Liebowitz