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On the one-year anniversary of the Insurrection at the Capitol, there will be candlelight vigils in Omaha and Ralston, Nebraska Thursday night.
Omaha’s January 6th Vigil will be located at the College of Saint Mary’s fieldhouse and also online. The event will start with a speech from the college’s president Maryanne Stevens. A prayer will follow and then three songs will be performed by the Omaha Justice Choir. There will be three additional speakers after the music, each from Black Votes Matter, Civic Nebraska, and the Women’s Fund of Omaha.
Kristin Mattson is the event director and political science faculty at the College of Saint Mary. Mattson said January 6th should be reflected upon as a threat to democracy.
“We need to look that threat in its face, understand it, remember it clearly,” Mattson said, “and from that remembering as a community, draw strengths to take action to shore up our democracy.”
Mattson said another goal of the event is to ensure voting security, while also working to counteract voter suppression efforts across the country.
The vigil in Ralston will take place at Frank’s Pizzeria and aims to register voters.