John, it's Sen. Peters, and this Black History Month I'm celebrating the creativity and teachings that guided me through my activism.

As an adoptee and young black man growing up in America, taking inspiration from art is just one of the ways I'm able to connect with my community. I've particularly looked up to Black filmmakers, from Spike Lee to Raoul Peck to Steve McQueen.

They give a first-person perspective to the fight for freedom from oppression and revolution to change the world just to exist – something that I engage in every day.

These folks may be older and wiser than me, but our experiences are connected, John. Before I dive into how that struggle pertains to the "now", I've got an urgent message: Although we've banned book bans in IL, there are still far-right legislators working to repress teaching this history – even during Black History Month. Can you chip in to support a pro-education, pro-people legislator?

Those Black filmmakers wrote about their interpersonal relationships, socio-economic hardships, love and loss, and a plethora of topics embracing the "Black experience" in America – and those narratives can still be applied all over the nation today.

Black communities, especially like the ones in my district, have been historically underserved and underrepresented – and we've had to make our own path to success.

With the rise of political polarization, insane inflation and levels of poverty, limited access to education, rising racial tensions and the many other facets of life, Black Americans usually end up with the short end of the stick – and our system was created to do that. 

That's why I'm working toward changing that system with policies that help our students, keep our communities safe, and improve our quality of life. 

We need an advocate in the IL House, which is exactly why I'm proud to be that as the Senate Chair of the IBLC. In just the last year, we've been able to hand out hundreds of scholarships to remove financial barriers from students, partner with planned parenthood to address Black maternal health and morbidity, honor veterans across the state with groceries and resources, and help train the next generation of young black professionals.

The story of the fight for freedom from oppression is as old as time – but working together, we can continue changing that narrative.

John, the current system can be disappointing and discouraging, but there are opportunities to transform it – we just have to keep unifying and organizing. Will you chip in to help us continue the fight for what's right?

Thank you,

Sen. Robert Peters