Doug Jones Talks "Bending Toward Justice" and the 1963 Birmingham Church Bombing #RolandsBookClub

Senator Doug Jones, as a prosecutor, explicitly framed the 1963 Birmingham church bombing as an act of domestic terrorism, a term he believes was not widely used for white perpetrators at the time. The church was targeted because it was a symbol and meeting place for the Civil Rights Movement, making the attack a deliberate act of terror against a community.

Jones states, "It was an act of domestic terrorism before we really talked about that." (04:02) He explains the church was targeted "because it was a place for the mass meetings... It was clearly a symbol of the movement." (03:34)

Both the host and Senator Jones highlight a persistent reluctance in America to apply the 'domestic terrorist' label to white perpetrators of violence, especially against Black communities. This contrasts with the swift application of the term to American Muslims or foreign actors.

Roland Martin notes, "America has never wanted to call it this. Even now when I say on this show, white domestic terrorist, folks go, 'No, no, no.'" (04:09) Jones agrees, citing examples like Dylan Roof and Timothy McVeigh, stating, "People don't like to use that term. That's always left for people overseas." (04:51)

The 9/11 terrorist attacks significantly altered public perception regarding the prosecution of historical acts of terrorism. Post-9/11, there was a greater societal acceptance for pursuing justice in cold cases, regardless of the time elapsed.

Jones observes, "We didn't hear as many people after 9/11 saying, 'Oh, we shouldn't go back and look at these cases.'" (15:04) Martin adds, "As a matter of fact, at that point, it was, 'Well, I get it now. No matter how long it takes, we need to track down these terrorists and bring them to justice.'" (15:11)

Senator Jones advocates for viewing the pursuit of justice in civil rights cold cases as a means of healing and historical acknowledgment, rather than 'closure.' He argues that 'closure' implies forgetting, which is detrimental to learning from the past.

Jones states, "I never use the word closure. There's so many people use, 'Oh, this brings closure.' We can't let these cases bring closure because then you forget about them. If they're closed, they're gone, right?" (23:09) He clarifies, "It brings healing and that's a great thing, but we can never forget about them." (23:20)

Senator Jones draws a direct line between historical efforts to deny Black people the right to vote and contemporary legislative actions. He asserts that while current motives might be political rather than purely racial animus, the effect of denying access to the ballot box remains the same.

Jones recounts being criticized for saying Republican state legislators make a conscious effort to deny voting access. He responds, "No, I'm really not calling you a racist, but what I am saying is for political reasons these days... The effect is the same. You are still denying folks the right to vote." (31:50)

Jones emphasizes that poor white communities in places like Appalachia share many economic and healthcare challenges with Black communities in the 'Black Belt' of Alabama. He argues that political candidates should deliberately highlight these common 'kitchen table issues' to unite voters rather than allowing social issues to divide them.

Jones states, "What should these candidates be saying specifically to poor white people that your issues are the same as the issues in the Black Belt of Alabama? You've got pre-existing conditions. You've got health care issues..." (35:27) He advocates for candidates to "go into those communities... and talk about those very issues and say this is what we need. You need to be focusing on your kitchen table issues." (36:10)