A Former U.S. Senate Page Reflects on Security, Race, Class, and the Capitol Riots

Marine One with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump aboard after leaving the White House. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

In the summer of 2019, I had the privilege of working as a U.S. Senate page. We had to be compliant with many layers of security protocol. This included forfeiting access to our cellphones and the internet when we entered the campus. Every morning, my colleagues and I would walk into the Hart Senate Office Building past armed Capitol police officers…