Feb. 5, 2021
Earlier this week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) took Instagram Live viewers on an emotional journey as she recounted details of what she experienced on Jan. 6, when a violent pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol. She also opened up about previous trauma she’s endured including sexual assault, harassment, threats and racism. Her firsthand account clearly struck a chord with supporters and critics; by Friday, it had been viewed more than 5.6 million times.
Ocasio-Cortez’s candid video was not just a call for accountability for those responsible for the destructive and deadly riot; it was also a crash course on some healthy ways to recognize and heal from trauma whether or not she intended it to be. And it arrived at a time when many people needed it.