It goes without saying that Riverdale students spend a lot of time analyzing history, and they often rely on logic and impartiality to make sense of historical events. About a year after the January 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, the school community is still grappling with questions about what it means to live under a democracy, what it takes to uphold it, and, sometimes, the measures people will  take to override unwanted election results. As Riverdale continues to reflect on the role of the insurrection and the Trump presidency within U.S. history, should community members extend this neutrality to their reflections on this time in history?

Right now, it is clear that U.S. politics are becoming less ideologically diverse. Trumpism has persisted in the GOP long after the 2020 presidential election, while concerns about voting rights and gerrymandering are at the forefront of political discourse. There is widespread distrust of our current electoral systems, and when it comes to January 6, the physical invasion of  the Capitol has overshadowed the legislative misconduct happening on the  Senate floor. 

Mr. Daniel Holt, Upper School history teacher and Mock Trial advisor, discusses a potential shift in legislation that could determine how votes are counted. “President Trump and his supporters have been pushing legislation…that would make it easier for state legislatures to choose who won the election in their state rather than looking at the actual vote.” Many pro-Trump Republicans have considered an overhaul of the certification process that led to his defeat, citing the 1887 Electoral Count Act, which attempts to describe how votes should be counted and has been used to justify the attempted nullification of the election results. 

For non-Trump supporters, Trump’s second acquittal about a month after the insurrection only deepened their mistrust of our democracy and criminal justice system. And yet, it seems like Riverdale members have widely recognized the need to balance both the limitations and capabilities of our democracy. 

Ms. Rebecca Zimmerman, an Upper School history teacher, recalls the striking proximity between the election of Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock in Georgia to the Capitol insurrection a day later. “We can put trust in democracy and we must demand more from it [by] doing constant upkeep in order to ensure that outcomes like in Georgia are possible in the future…not the outcomes of violence and radicalized hate that we saw in Washington,” she said. The insurrection, which has been deemed undemocratic by politicians and voters across the political spectrum, interrupted a precedent of peaceful transfers of power. At the same time, Trump’s acquittals do not yield conclusive evidence about the ineffectiveness of our democracy. Whether or not the acquittals serve as evidence of a flawed justice system is largely subjective, even as we consider the ways that Trump’s relationships to the jury and overall influence could have skewed the ruling.  

So how exactly do we move forward as a country despite this uncertainty? 

More young people across the nation are taking on an active role as informed citizens. The vibrant political discourse and more culturally-responsive curriculum at Riverdale have reflected this spirit of change-making. “I always like when we talk about current events in class, and my teacher shares his thoughts, also allowing us to speak freely about what we thought,” says sophomore Ava Epstein. Along with her peers, Epstein was able to interrogate her own belief systems, especially after the violence she witnessed at the Capitol fundamentally altered the way she thinks about our country’s safety. “I remember being really scared thinking how could the most sacred and protected place in our country…be attacked by our own people?” For her, it became a physical manifestation of ideological polarization, which previously felt like more of an idea than an active threat to democracy.

Like Epstein, many community members have realized the extent to which our country is divided politically. Riverdale has not been spared from this division, and discussions surrounding contemporary issues have highlighted the difficulty of remaining neutral when one is directly affected by current legislation. 

The January 6 insurrection was a symptom of deep concerns about misinformation and a tense political landscape. With so much information available to us in the palm of a hand, making sense of U.S. politics can be overwhelming. Yet, Riverdale students and faculty alike have the opportunity to use our social platforms and student organizations as tools to enact positive change and continue to nurture their passions for learning.