March Recap—Insurrection
Our first-ever Speak Easy Saturday was well attended. The participants held lively discussions about the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6. We all had our own ideas about how we got here.
How did we get here?
One thing was clear—a vast number of people are being influenced by disinformation and misinformation, to such an extent that they organized, stormed the U.S. Capitol, and tried to stop a constitutionally mandated transfer of power. It’s true that many of these individuals hold to racist ideologies and the narrowest thinking about what makes us Americans. Some may have fooled themselves into believing that they were “saving democracy,” but they actually were promulgating an ideology of “might is right.” However, it’s important to note that this sort of militant racism, sense of entitlement, white supremacy, and at best self-delusory or ill-informed thinking has been with us for generations.
What was different this time?
There was a consensus among our Speak Easy attendees that—having received acceptance and encouragement from some elected officials—one group of insurrectionists felt justified in expressing their disdain for government and tried to force their desired outcome through violence. Others, we believe, were there because they had swallowed (or perhaps wanted to believe) the lie that there was widespread voter fraud during the last presidential election. These unsubstantiated and repeatedly debunked claims of voter fraud drove many to participate in the horrific “protest” that ended in destruction and death.
What can we do to combat misinformation and disinformation?
We all agreed that polarization is the result of political machinations and unregulated media outlets. We discussed various methods to combat misinformation and disinformation and decided that we need to increase our presence in the community through more interactive public outreach. As you know, the League is on a mission of self-reflection about issues of equity and inclusion, and we have several civic engagement campaigns to help communities boost their political power.
How do we leverage these two missions—equity and battling disinformation—to combat polarization and to connect with our fellow citizens who might see things differently?
Two strategies were identified: The first is to take a personal journey of “vicarious learning” through the written word. To this end, we compiled a list of “Speak Easy Reading/Viewing/Listening Recommendations,” which you’ll see below. The second strategy is to host more public forums (virtual and in-person) as a listening campaign. The Board will be considering what form this will take, whether town halls with leaders in attendance or another means of engaging the community. Stay tuned.
As a League, we are frequently preaching to the choir, since most of us joined this organization for the purpose of getting out the vote, studying and advocating on behalf of positions and legislation, and generally becoming more civically aware. Engaging more—and more diverse—members of the community is a worthwhile effort and, in fact, the only way to achieve our overall goal: to make democracy work for everyone.
Please sign up for our next Speak Easy, Saturday, April 10, at 6:00 p.m., as we explore the ins and outs of another core issue of our time: reparations.
—Martha Y. Zavala
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Speak Easy Reading/Viewing/Listening Recommendations
Here are few books, a YouTube video, and a podcast recommended by our March Speak Easy participants:
Books
▪ Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson
▪ White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism, by Robin DiAngelo
▪ Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America, by Jill Leovy
▪ A Colony in a Nation, by Chris Hayes
▪ How to Be an Anti-Racist, by Ibram X. Kendi
▪ You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington, by Alexis Coe
▪ So You Want to Talk about Race, by ljeoma Oluo
▪ The Children, by David Halberstam
▪ Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change, John Lewis
▪ Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, by Ibram X. Kendi
▪ Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America, by Stacey Abrams
▪ A Promised Land, by Barack Obama
Video
▪ Radical American Partisanship: Mapping Violent Hostility, Its Causes, and What It Means for Democracy, on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93sUqLZpvwA.
Podcast
▪ The Axe Files, hosted by David Axelrod at https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/axe-files. In several episodes following January 6, 2021, Axelrod discusses the insurrection with scholars, activists, and journalists.
