Following the United States Senate’s vote to acquit Donald Trump after he incited a violent insurrection against the U.S. government, BlackPAC executive director Adrianne Shropshire released the following statement.
“BlackPAC applauds the House managers and the brilliant case they brought before the United States Senate. Despite a majority of the Senate voting to convict Donald Trump for inciting a violent insurrection against the United States government, a twice-impeached, failed president was acquitted.
Let’s be clear: the very premise of the insurrection was rooted in anti-Black racism. The insurrectionists, led by former President Donald Trump, stood for the racist notion that Black voters in Detroit, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Atlanta are illegitimate participants in American democracy and therefore, their votes should be thrown out. That 43 senators gave legitimacy to this premise and refused to hold a seditious president accountable for his actions is not simply a stain on our democracy — it also sets a dangerous precedent for future elected officials. With this vote, we can anticipate that efforts already underway in states to pass voter suppression legislation will grow exponentially.
Democracy requires accountability. We call on Democratic Party leadership to invoke the 14th Amendment and ensure that this dangerous, seditious and unhinged former president never holds office again.
Yes, our communities want COVID-19 relief. Yes, our communities want equitable distribution of the vaccine. Yes, our communities want student debt canceled, a $15/hr minimum wage, climate justice, paid leave and a restoration of voting rights. But our community also wants white supremacy put in check. We can take a huge step in stamping out white supremacy and achieving our goal of a truly multi-racial democracy by holding accountable the United States president who incited white supremacists to stop the peaceful transition of power.
Make no mistake — 2022 is around the corner. Minority rule cannot be the governing principle of our democracy. BlackPAC continues to train our sights on expanding the Democratic majority in the United States Senate and holding every senator accountable to defending our democracy and advancing policy that is grounded in equity and justice.
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