Folks –

On the same day that we remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s contributions to creating a more just society, we must also face the reality that extremism has once again found its seat in the Oval Office.

Donald Trump is now President.

And folks, I know many New Yorkers are feeling worried today.

These next four years will present their fair share of challenges – that’s just the truth. But as we lift up the life and legacy of Dr. King today, we would be wise to heed his words:

At times in our lives the tail winds of joy, triumph and fulfillment favor us, and at times the head winds of disappointment, sorrow, and tragedy beat unrelentingly against us. Shall we permit adverse winds to overwhelm us as we journey across life’s mighty Atlantic, or will our inner spiritual engine sustain us in spite of the winds? Our refusal to be stopped, our courage to be, our determination to go on in spite of, reveals the divine image within us. The individual who has made this discovery knows that no burden can overwhelm him or her, and no wind of adversity can blow his or her hope away.

Let us always remember, my fellow New Yorkers, that hope is still alive. It is always alive, because love can never die. We must keep the fight, and do it with love in our hearts. We must not, as Dr. King once preached, “satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred . . . we must always conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.”

In solidarity,

Antonio Delgado