Thread by @JemarTisby

The swirl of thoughts and emotions surrounding the one year anniversary of an #insurrection have been difficult for me to sort out. I'm sure many of you feel the same. So here are some related but distinct items I'm reflecting on concerning the assault on our democracy...🧵

White evangelicals, who are all wrapped up in this thing because of Christian Nationalism (more on that in a moment) spend tons of time arguing about whether women can stand in the pulpit, but hardly a word from conservatives on the crumbling of the democratic process.

I wrote in my first book about the complicity of segments of U.S. Christianity in racism. If I were to write a history of the past 5-7 years, it would be about the conspiracy of many Christians to undermine democracy and promote authoritarianism with the veneer of religiosity

As a historian I'm reminded of the period following the Civil War--Reconstruction and "Redemption." At no time in our nation's history were we more poised to make drastic changes to set up a truly multiracial democracy. That didn't happen. One reason is a lack of accountability.

Andrew Johnson became president after Lincoln's assassination. He was prodigious in pardons for Confederate soldiers and leaders. He vetoed the Civil Rights Bill of 1866 (a veto later overturned). His failure to unequivocally repudiate the Confederate cause still haunts us.

Perhaps the most pernicious outcome of the January 6 insurrection is the failure to hold the prime culprits responsible. The process is ongoing, but it may already be too late. If we can't prevent terrorist acts, we should at least hold the perpetrators accountable for them.

I'm also concerned that too many people will see January 6 as disconnected from the racial uprisings of 2020 and racism and white supremacy more generally. This was a rebellion not just against democracy, but of the participation of Black and brown people in that democracy.

What galvanized support for the insurrection was the goading of right-wing political leaders as well as the supposed threat posed by historically marginalized people who dared to use their votes to shape a more inclusive nation.

The white racial backlash has led to an absence of accountability for politicians who spread disinformation, a war on CRT, and a refusal on the part of Republicans and others to pass any federal measure that protects the right to free and fair elections.

Lastly, white Christian Nationalism, and the literal, physical violence it co-signs and promotes, must be seen as the true threat to democracy that it is. Political officials should be involved, but resistance must also happen in churches and faith communities.

White Christians, in particular, must talk to their leaders and fellow church members to define white Christian Nationalism and explain why it is a perversion of the faith handed down to the saints. If those leaders or members will not listen, the time for separation is nigh.

The U.S. is not destined to be a democracy forever. Those who support a participatory government must fight to ensure its preservation. Let 2022 be a year of prophetic imagination and generative action for the sake of justice.
#January6th #Insurrection