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John, it's Hank Johnson. Today, I am thinking of my dear friend, John R. Lewis, on what would have been his 85th birthday.

I often invoke the words of Mr. Lewis, to "Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America"—because the state of our nation is alarming.

With the reign of the 2nd Trump administration upon us, it is abundantly clear that Trump is trying to destroy our democracy and replace it with a dictatorship. His strategy is to “flood the zone” with outrageous executive actions designed to cause us to feel overwhelmed and hopeless. But my friend, things are not hopeless. We have a democracy that is worth fighting for, and that’s why it is so important for us to stay engaged, John. 

Before I ask you to chip in to support today's Civil Right's Activists in Congress, I want to remind you of what got us to this place:

America was built on the backs of Black people, stolen from their homeland and forced to slave for wealthy, land-owning White people. Once slavery was abolished Jim Crow apartheid ruled the land. But our forefathers and mothers never gave up.

Civil Rights Activists like John Lewis spent their lives dedicated to being loud and unafraid to sacrifice themselves for the cause of racial justice, human dignity, civil rights, and equality for all, no matter what.

I work every day to live by John Lewis's example. He used to say that “We all came over on separate ships, but we are in the same boat now." It's not just about Black people fighting for our civil rights (although that fight continues), it’s about all of us fighting together to save our democracy. While we fight to save democracy, I’m also busy cosponsoring dozens of bills to expand voting rights, expand federal protections for marginalized communities, reform the Supreme Court, and honor the activists (like John Lewis himself) who paved the way for our work.

The fight to create a better America for all is not over, nor does it exist in a Congressional vacuum. We need grassroots supporters on the ground to make good trouble alongside us.

Special elections and the 2026 midterms are our next shot at changing the balance of power and truly undermining Trump's far-right agenda. Democrats are going to need all the help we can get! Today, could you make a contribution to support anti-Trump candidates in next year's election?

In solidarity,
Hank Johnson

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