The Trauma of a Generation on the National Stage

By Emma Rowland and Tatiana Washington

The most haunting images of the January 6th insurrection of the United States Capitol are images that capture the trauma of a generation: law enforcement standing behind a barricaded door with guns drawn at armed white supremacists and Congress Members comforting one another while sheltering behind a wall as rioters shot and damaged their way through the Capitol.

These are more than images to young people who have practiced or gone through active shooter drills and lockdowns. These acts of violence are our formative experiences.

Emma Rowland: As a co-author to this piece, I…