Statement on the Attack on the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021

Image source: CNN

The Catholic Committee of Appalachia vehemently denounces the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021. We recognize that divisive politics, hatred, and disinformation campaigns played significant roles in fueling the actions of fellow citizens, and we are also called to name the root cause—the white supremacist system characterized by violence, exclusion, and suspicion directed toward persons of color that has and continues to plague our country since its very beginning. The failure of many white Americans to recognize, name, and effectively address this central conflict led to the events of January 6th. Our continued denial and minimization of the harm caused by white supremacy and privilege will only allow for similar actions in the future. CCA acknowledges and denounces the particular persistence of this legacy in Appalachia.[1]

We come to these convictions as people of faith called to be prophetic witnesses firmly rooted in Appalachia. We deeply value the region’s culture of interdependency, relying on each other and Earth to sustain our lives. We recognize and lament the fact that those who stormed the Capitol building both represented, and in some cases were, in fact, our family members, neighbors, colleagues, people with whom we worship and to whom we minister, even some of our elected officials and religious leaders.

Listening is the first step to all justice work. In this spirit of interdependence, such listening must lead to a mutually critical examination of our beliefs, their origins, and their effects. Finally, such examination should seek to promote conversion from the sins of racism and white supremacy in Appalachia and to better realize the dignity of each person. We call upon our members, and all Appalachian people, to join us in continuing to promote peace, equity, justice and inclusion, and speaking truths in ways that foster respectful dialogue in our relationships.

Approved by CCA’s Board of Directors
January 10, 2021
Feast of Christ’s Baptism

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[1] CCA Statement on White Supremacy in Charlottesville, August 15, 2017, https://www.ccappal.org/statements-1/white-supremacy-in-charlottesville; Statement of Commitment to Anti-Racist Action in Society and in the Church, June 19, 2020, https://www.ccappal.org/statements-1/statement-of-commitment-to-anti-racist-action-in-society-and-in-the-church.