On MLK Day 2022, sharing a video interview with Dr. William Barber from Jan 6, 2021
History in real time: the attack on the Capitol was breaking news
North Carolina’s own Reverend Dr. William Barber is a remarkable man, and this video interview with Dr. Cornel West and Dr. Tricia Rose on The Tight Rope happened at an essential moment: recording on January 6, 2021, they started out discussing that morning’s electoral wins for Raphael Warnock and Jon Osoff in Georgia. Then as they explored the historical significance of electing these men to the US Senate, making historical connections back to Reconstruction, the news started to break that the US Capitol is under attack from insurrectionists. It gives me chills to see these leading intellectuals and historians respond to this news in real time. Today, as we honor the memory and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, please take an opportunity to get to know Dr. Barber.
One of the many losses of January 6, 2021 is that we did not even get a chance to metabolize the important victories that elected Senators Warnock and Osoff! It is important to understand the history, especially the connections to America’s interrupted, rescinded Reconstruction. The fact that we still have so much work to do to protect democracy traces back to the failures of Reconstruction. The complete story of Reconstruction is not often taught in history classes, and is up to us to keep educating ourselves about our American history, which echoes to this day.
Just watched the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP's Annual Dr. Rev. MLK Day Jr. celebration--refreshes your mind and spirit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp85g1L4tdQ