COVINGTON, Ga. — After the U.S. Capitol steps were flooded by violent protesters Jan. 6, citizens across America chose to come together ahead of President Joe Biden’s inauguration Wednesday, Jan. 20, to create STEPS2021.

STEPS2021 is an initiative calling for peace, justice and hope, set on the steps of the nation's most cherished common spaces, said Andy Offutt Irwin, who is a Covington native and singer/songwriter. People nationwide, including artists, musicians and faith leaders, joined together in an effort to reclaim the steps that are meaningful to their community, he said, which was all started by singer/songwriter and activist Dar Williams.

STEPS2021 made its way to Covington through Irwin. Irwin recorded an original song written by Irwin and Bil Lepp, “To Him, the Magi Gave these Things,” on Wednesday Jan. 20 at the steps of Covington First United Methodist Church, located at 1113 Conyers Street. 

“The rioters transformed those sacred steps from our literal solid foundation of representative government to a place of fear, hatred, and out of control violence,” Irwin wrote in a press release. “These images, filmed, photographed, recorded and spread throughout all media are an antidote to the ugly scenes we witnessed on Jan. 6. Taking back the steps where collaboration and good community work happen – between neighbors, between colleagues, between congregants – is how we want to walk onward and upward, celebrating the momentous and increasingly precious occasion of the peaceful transfer of power.”

For more information on the STEPS2021 initiative, visit steps2021.org, or reach out to Irwin at andy@andyirwin.com.