In my nearly 83 years, never did I expect to see what happened at our beloved Capitol
On Jan. 6, like many of you, I sat riveted to the television, scarcely able to digest what I was witnessing.
Never in my nearly 83 years of living did I think that I would live to see a sitting president of the United States of America incite a riot. Yet, it has happened, right here on the shores of our beloved land of the free.
America, and indeed the world, watched as President Donald Trump encouraged those who, along with him, could not accept the outcome of a free presidential election.
At a rally on the Ellipse near the White House on Wednesday afternoon, shortly before Congress was to begin certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s presidential election victory, Trump vowed to “never concede” and exhorted his followers to march up the National Mall toward the Capitol to “give our Republicans the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.”
Shortly thereafter, the mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, breaking windows, clashing with police, vandalizing congressional offices and marauding through the marbled halls of America’s democracy with at least one Confederate flag.
As of Friday, five people had died, including one woman shot to death.
As my mom would say, “What a time, what a time! Never did I ever...”
Most of the freedom-loving citizens of America feared that something like this might happen if Trump lost the election. We speculated, but deep within, some of us thought that Trump would never go so far.
But might I remind you of a saying from the late American poet Maya Angelou? “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
Before any of us cast a vote in the 2016 election, Trump showed his true form. He was disrespectful of women — how many times did he yell terrible slurs at his opponent Hillary Clinton, calling her names and threatening to “lock her up” once he became president.
And remember when he said he could walk down New York’s Fifth Avenue, shoot someone and still be elected? And what about the stinking conversation caught on tape where he boasted of how he could get women. And what about the women he allegedly paid to keep quiet about their relationships with him?
Even with all that, Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States of America.
Oh, my goodness, there was so foretelling of this day. Yet, for the most part, America ignored it and laughed off Trump’s antics like they were a school boy prank.
But, my friends, the office of the President of the United States should not be in the hands of a foolish school boy. It is not about who is a Republican or who is a Democrat. It is about electing the dedicated man or woman who will put the country first, above his or her own personal gains.
One of the sad things about what is occurring in our country is that the world is watching. Countries that never agreed with our fight for freedom and justice are watching and mocking us.
And while I don’t want to pull out the what-if-Obama-had-done-this card, I can’t help but think of how quickly this would have been resolved had it been President Obama leading this fiasco. Nope. Obama never, ever, would have allowed it to get this far.
Neither would have President Bush. Or President Clinton. Or President Reagan.
When Trump supporters ransacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, disrupting what normally has been a historic and ceremonial transfer of power, most Americans were shocked and sickened.
We thought it would be a day to be presided over by the sitting vice president. On this day, however, Vice President Mike Pence had to be escorted out of the Senate chambers and whisked to a safe spot.
Because of Trump, Pence was hiding somewhere on Capitol Hill.
I am writing this column on one of the saddest days in the history of our nation, a day of American citizens fighting against other American citizens, led by a president who could not accept that he lost the election.
Today, as you read this column, I am hoping that a semblance of calmness has returned to Washington. I am praying that we can move on from these days of turmoil to a more unified nation of people.
Postscript: As I finished writing this column, Trump took to the airways and urged his supporters to go home in peace.
40 years of sisterhood and service
A tribute to the 40 years of sisterhood, scholarship and service provided by the women of the Dade County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
At noon today, on the 40th anniversary of the sorority’s charter ceremony held at the Belafonte-Tacolcy Center in Liberty City, the women of the sorority will have a virtual celebration to mark “40 Years of Service, Sisterhood, and Scholarship… with All that Jazz,” said Maud Newbold, who served as the first president of the chapter.
Newbold said the sorority has fond memories of that day.
“Dr. Kathleen Wright, then our Southern Regional Director, officiated at the ceremony. She was assisted by Dr. Nettie Dove, then president of the Miami Alumnae Chapter,” Newbold said. “On that day, Dr. Wright installed 18 visionary Deltas with sterling records of public service and outstanding leadership experience as charter members of the newly established chapter.”
She said the officers of the new chapter were Margaret Baulkman, Cleomie Bloomfield, Bobbie Bowen, Pernella Burke, Thelma Davis, Martha Day, Darlene Gay, Ruth Jones, Elmer Kilpatrick, Juanita Lane, Sheba Martin, Beverly Nixon, Zandra Rucker, Dorothy Saunders, Marcia Saunders, Dorothy Sawyer and Evelyn Wynn.
Over the years, the chapter has received many awards for its community contributions, from the Adolescent Primary Pregnancy Prevention Learning Enrichment Program to supporting the seniors at the Mildred and Claude Pepper Towers, the Caleb Center and Little River Neighborhood Service Center and schools such as Booker T. Washington and Central High school, to name a few.
Flora Jackson is the chapter’s 14th president and she is inviting all Deltas — new and returning — to join the Zoom celebration chaired by Renee Jones and Jane McQueen.
This story was originally published January 7, 2021 at 5:04 PM.