What if the rioters who breached the US Capitol were Black?

Solomon Jones | WHYY.org

The scene was unlike anything we’d ever witnessed.

An angry mob descended on Capitol Hill after attending a rally where President Donald Trump erroneously claimed the election was stolen and directed his followers to confront members of Congress.

“We’re going to walk down there, and I’ll be there with you,” Trump said at the rally. “We’re going to walk down … to the Capitol and we are going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women. And we’re probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them. Because you’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong.”

The mob marched to Capitol Hill as members of Congress prepared to confirm Joe Biden as the country’s next president.

They broke through windows as members of Congress were rushed out of the building. Multiple police officers were injured. A woman was shot and later died. Three others died in separate medical emergencies. And later, two improvised explosive devices were found in the city.

Many Americans have questions about the violent attack. I have just one: Would those insurrectionists have been allowed to breach the Capitol if they were Black?

The answer is an unequivocal no.

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