President Trump’s refusal to accept defeat and peacefully transition power are antithetical to our values and imperil our democracy. The extremism, lawlessness, and violence unfolding at the Capitol are the direct result of Trump’s racist rhetoric and relentless disinformation from America’s political leaders. They are an attempt to deny the will of voters, including millions of Black voters and other voters of color around the country.

The difference between what we’ve seen today and the way Black Lives Matter protesters were treated in Lafayette Square underscores the urgent need for immediate action by Congress and the Biden-Harris Administration. We’re long past incremental steps. We need a complete overhaul of the criminal legal system and a comprehensive, federally led strategy to ensure racial justice and full democracy.