This is America. Where is Accountability?

The January 6th attacks on our democratic institutions—fueled by white supremacy, misinformation, and hatred—were repugnant. President Trump’s unchecked mob that took over and desecrated the Capitol Building demonstrated how white privilege can destroy institutions and sites that others deem sacred and worthy of dignified preservation. Indeed, this is how white supremacy has always worked.

However, many in Accountability Counsel’s community are poignantly aware of how common this feeling has been throughout history. When we witness the destruction of sacred sites, we think of communities we support in Jharkhand, India, as well as Indigenous communities in the US and abroad that have suffered racism’s wrath. When we see state-sponsored attacks on the democratic process, we think of Haiti and Chile, and countless other examples of US imperialism. When we think about the corrupt extraction of wealth and power for elites, we think of the Black community, of Africa and its diaspora, as well as others who continue to suffer the devastating impacts of slavery and colonialism. When we see overt violence in our Capitol, we think about the devastating quiet violence of systemic racism, inequality, and oppression that undermines self-determination, democracy, and social justice around the world. And behind the five deaths resulting from the violence loom the thousands dead the very same day from COVID-19, in yet another record-breaking day of unimaginable loss, particularly in the same marginalized communities targeted by the angry mob.

As we join the call for the immediate removal of the President from office, as well as accountability for all who have been involved in an attempt to subvert democracy, we do so from a global perspective, informed by the experiences we’ve shared with the communities we serve.

At Accountability Counsel, we will continue to shine a light on the power structures that operate with impunity, within the US and elsewhere. We will persist in our demand for accountability of these structures. We will maintain our call for transparency so that power cannot wield misinformation as a weapon. We will amplify the voices of communities who have been silenced and ignored.

It is a time for all of us to reflect on what accountability means.