COLUMBIA, S.C. — Many South Carolinians are calling for unity and protection of democracy a year after the January 6 attack.
Thursday, on the anniversary of U.S. Capitol attack, several community members joined the Day of Remembrance through a rally at the State House, a candlelight vigil or by watching a virtual panel of scholars that discussed the riot.
“Unity is what democracy is about,” said Allen Black, a Columbia resident that attended the rally. Black said justice should be served but the country also needs to find a way to come back together.
Many people at the rally spoke about the division in America and ways to move forward and unite, despite having different political views.
"Our democracy is no stronger than the people we’re a part of, so each one of us has the responsibility to protect our democracy,” said organizer Lawrence Moore.
One way to protect democracy, according to Moore, is through equal voting rights.
“The demonstrations we had on January 6 and the persistence of a lie about an election created the reality that we need to fortify our rights in our country,” Moore said.
He added that he supports legislation on the state and federal level that aim to protect voting rights.
South Carolina scholars also met on the Day of Remembrance, saying we can learn from the past to understand what happened on January 6.
“I appeal to people to study these periods of the 19th century, particularly after 1868, to try to understand what’s going on and we can use these as tools to further understand how to combat misinformation,” explained historian Dr. Tyler Parry.
And USC professor Dr. Todd Shaw, argued the attack was a result of division that began a long time ago. "This polarization didn’t just occur, it’s been here, and it has grown since at least the late '70s,” said Shaw.
The Scholars said moving forward will take uncomfortable conversations, education and honesty.