I offer these few words as we struggle with the events of yesterday.
Democracy is a process, a concept, an aspiration. The substance and value of our laws depends on progress towards the creation of a true democracy, knowing that a country governed by the will of all the people is the only way to create laws that respect and nurture the humanity in each of us and enable the power of our collective talents.
From now on, whenever we think about democracy, January 6, 2021 will be the day we remember.
On January 6, 2021, Reverend Raphael Warnock became the first African-American man to be elected to the United States Senate from the State of Georgia. Thomas Jon Ossoff, a former intern of the late Congressman John Lewis, became Georgia’s first Jewish U.S. Senator from Georgia. Their election was a validation of their values and their work, and would not have happened without the work and vision of Stacy Abrams and the determination of those who worked with her to create a democracy – to unleash the votes of those who had been disenfranchised and those whose life experience had left them disillusioned.
On January 6, 2021, a lawless and violent mob, incited by the President of the United States, attempted to use force to thwart the democratic process.
On January 6, 2021, our elected representatives returned to Congress and certified the election of Joe Biden as president.
And, on January 6, 2021, President-elect Biden announced his selections for Attorney General and other top Justice Department officials: Merrick Garland, Lisa Monaco, Vanita Gupta, and Kristen Clarke.
On January 7, 2021, it could not be clearer that democracy and the rule of law are not only worth fighting for, but that their endurance demands all our vigilance and all our energies. Our efforts, individually and collectively, are more necessary than ever to guarantee that we are moving towards more equal justice and a more enfranchised country. Our Law School’s mission – to create access to legal education and diversify the profession and to graduate and empower lawyers determined to advance social justice – and the work that each of us do is more critical than ever.