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WASHINGTON—Rep. Ilhan Omar was sworn in today as the Representative from Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, making her the first Somali-American Member of Congress, the first woman of color to represent Minnesota, and one of the first two Muslim-American women elected to Congress.
At her ceremonial swearing in, Rep. Omar used a Quran that belonged to her grandfather. As a teenager, Ilhan acted as her grandfather's translator at local caucuses in Minneapolis and he is the one who first sparked Rep. Omar's interest in politics.
Hate crimes in this country are continuing to increase at an alarming rate. According to the FBI's annual report released this month, the number of incidents increased about 17 percent compared with last year. That is the largest increase in these types of cowardly acts since 2001. The culture of intolerance spread by President Donald Trump has clearly emboldened racist individuals to acts of violence.
The first Somali-American elected to office reminds us what patriotism really looks like. You can watch the video here.
American hate is not new — and it is not scarce. While Nov. 8, 2016, acted as a wake-up call for many Americans, to most people of color and indigenous people the election of President Trump served as an affirmation of our nation's divisions. We have never truly defeated hate.