Hi John,

247 years ago, a radical promise laid the foundation for our country – that a person's opportunities in life would no longer be defined simply by their bloodline.

"That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Now, we know plenty of people were left out of this initial promise: millions of Black folks held in slavery, women, white men who didn't own property, the indigenous peoples who already lived here.

But that initial promise – it's something every generation has strived in their own way to reach more fully.

My great-grandfather saw that promise broken. When the Klan came for him in South Carolina, he left for Jamaica and promised never to come back.

My grandfather, however, believed so deeply in that promise he came back to America and raised his family here.

It's a promise that seemed out of reach for me as a kid. It took my mother's strength, our community's support, and instructors and mentors who believed in me to secure that promise for me.

So, as we celebrate the founding of this country, let us also commit ourselves to the perpetual work of making the promise of America more real for ourselves, for our neighbors, for our children, and for the generations to come.

Elevate,

Wes

P.S. I also want to thank everyone who pitched in before our end-of-quarter deadline. Every dollar, every penny is an investment in helping to fulfill our campaign promise of a Maryland where no one is left behind.