Dear GC Community,
We cannot ignore the insurrection on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. We need to do the uncomfortable work to make meaning of this assault on democracy and name the truths we see. That includes the fact that while this action was uniquely brazen, it was not isolated.
There are important actions that must be taken in Washington after the insurrection on January 6th, but repairing and rebuilding our democracy for good is grassroots work and we each have a role in it.
Helping young people make meaning of this incident plants the seeds for a stronger democracy tomorrow. That is the line of defense that can be trusted to protect democratic norms from attacks, and can work to make our country more equitable and inclusive in the future.
At this moment, our young people have thoughts, feelings, and reactions – and we know civics can provide students with an authentic space and guidance to express those responses and use their voices to advocate for their communities. Many organizations have shared resources for talking to students about unsettling information and violent events. Our team at Generation Citizen has created a guide to support our community of educators. It is a compilation of resources we and our teachers have found most helpful, and also provides some strategies and context for our path forward.
At Generation Citizen, we believe that an effective democracy requires equal participation from all voices and communities—a goal that we can only achieve through a shared commitment to racial and socioeconomic equity. Let our collective and continued response show that true democracy is not a building that can be breached or vandalized, democracy is all of our actions.
In solidarity,
Elizabeth Clay Roy