When we ignore our collective losses and tragedies, we only compound the pain they generate. 

And when we feel like our pain is ignored or we cannot share it, remembering can become complicated. And how we lead can become toxic. 

No matter your age, you have moments in your life that are embedded in your nervous system–the time, the place, who you were with–when something significant happened in your world that shook you to your core.  

When we experience significant collective losses, who we were with and how we connected impacts how we metabolize shock, grief, or horror, as we grapple to make sense of the experience in the moment.

And the sense of community, or lack thereof, we feel during those moments also impacts our remembering. 

When we remember together, we comfort each other. And we also come together to ask the hard questions that support change that sustains.

Over the last 2 years, the January 6th Committee has gathered an incredible amount of data, eyewitness accounts, and transcripts of many conversations that led to the Insurrection. Formal criminal recommendations have just been sent to the Department of Justice as the committee prepares to close down.

And for this year’s anniversary, I am replaying my conversation with Julie Tagen, Chief of Staff to Congressman Jamie Raskin, who served on the January 6th committee.

Julie Tagen is the Chief of Staff to Congressman Jamie Raskin, (MD-08). She is a veteran leader in DC politics and campaigns. She is committed to leaving a legacy to the next generation of leaders who will continue the work she has cared so much about for over two decades.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Julie’s first-hand account of what she experienced on January 6 and what she learned about herself that day and in the aftermath
• How Julie has kept cynicism at bay and how she defines success after 25+ years in politics
• Why Julie believes it is critical for politicians to address the cultural issues in their communities to win voters
• How Julie’s experience as a gay, Jewish woman in politics have evolved since her first job and coming out in the 90s
• Why we should be paying closer attention the Congressional investigation into the events of January 6

Learn more about Rebecca:

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Resources:

• Vicarious Traumatization: An Empirical Study of the Effects of Trauma Work on Trauma Therapists, Laurie Anne Pearlman and Paula S. Mac Ian
• Transforming the Pain, Laurie Anne Pearlman and Karen W Saakvitne
• Four Hours At The Capitol, HBO Original Documentary