There’s no question that every American has been deeply struck by the tragedy that domestic terrorists brought upon our nation when they assaulted our sanctuary of democracy at the instigation of the President.

Implicit bias and systemic racism influence the planning for major events like Wednesday’s–and it can be lethal. If you think a group protesting or marching on Washington D.C. is more dangerous solely because of the color of their skin or the cause that they champion, then the way you create plans and projections for those events will reflect that. It’s apparent that law enforcement didn’t adequately prepare for the storming of the Capitol – even though they knew it was coming. It was a national security failure of epic proportions.

Until and unless we do reckon with racism and white supremacy, the possibility of continued violence and insurrection on the scale of Wednesday’s events remains. White Americans have got to confront this. As we talk about the catastrophic fallout from last week’s events, we cannot look away from the racial implications – and that it was an attack on the multiracial democracy we seek to strengthen.

For years, security and defense leaders have been talking about the rise of white nationalism and white supremacy and the danger this puts all of us in. And, this administration has blatantly – and repeatedly ignored what was right in front of them.

If dismantling white supremacy doesn’t become a bigger priority for America, we risk a future more dangerous than our present. It’s critically important for the future of democracy.

Mitch Landrieu
Founder & President, E Pluribus Unum

To kick off the new year, E Pluribus Unum has launched a new website to best showcase our ongoing programming and priorities for EPU in 2021.

On our improved website, you’ll find our 2020 impact report that provides an overview of our successes and lessons from the past year such as the: