Right-wing extremists attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6. The world watched as that part of the city was nearly powerless to defend itself because Washington, D.C., lacks the powers of a state. This illustrated the inequities that exist for the district’s 700,000 residents, who have no voting representation in the House of Representatives or the Senate.
The issue of statehood for D.C. is about more than safety and security. It’s about the promise of our democracy. It is also about racial justice. The population of the district is majority Black and people of color.