I was interviewed by Christian Science Monitor regarding the white terrorism at the U.S. Capitol yesterday and my reaction to the double standard in treatment between the rioters and BLM protesters. Here are my comments that appeared in the article:“Double standards in policingThe conduct of law enforcement in Washington also baffled civil rights activists in Minneapolis, where police officers killed George Floyd last May, touching off massive protests nationwide against police violence and racial injustice.Nekima Levy Armstrong, former president of the city’s NAACP chapter, contrasted the relatively light police presence at the Capitol with the response to largely peaceful Black Lives Matter protests in cities across the country last spring and summer.“People faced huge numbers of law enforcement in riot gear who used rubber bullets, tear gas, and sound machines against them just for peacefully marching in the streets to protest George Floyd’s murder,” says Ms. Armstrong, a civil rights lawyer.Ms. Armstrong says she possesses limited hope that Wednesday’s events will aid the call to reform law enforcement.“It’s a teachable moment only if people make an effort to learn from it,” she says. “We’ve had so many teachable moments leading up to George Floyd’s death, where we’ve seen evidence of systemic racism, and people say, ‘We didn’t know it was this bad.’”

By: Nekima Levy Armstrong | Wayfinder Executive Director