This is hard, John. The events of the last couple weeks have been horrific, and there are no words to sufficiently capture the pain so many people are feeling right now. But here’s what I do know: Civil rights is the unfinished business of America, and it’s all our responsibility to see that work to completion.
We’ve no doubt made progress, but if there’s anything the events of the past couple weeks have laid bare, it’s that we have so much more work to do. From George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, to Breonna Taylor’s death in Louisville, to Ahmaud Arbery’s death near Brunswick, Georgia, everything we’ve seen serves as a sobering reminder of the violence Black men and women face every day in America -- and just how far we have to go to root out the poison of racism that pervades every facet of our society.
But we can do it, John. It’s not easy, but I’ve seen it done. As head of the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, I worked to investigate police misconduct and hold police departments accountable to the communities they serve.
I’ve also seen countless heroes step up in tragedies like this. I know there’s reason for hope and there’s reason to press on. That reason is you, John.
Your commitment to electing leaders who believe this country can live up to the basic ideals of its founding is what continues to move us forward. Achieving progress is rarely easy, painless, or swift, but you’ve never wavered in your commitment. I couldn’t be prouder to stand shoulder to shoulder with you in this work.
We have the tools to do this. We’ve done it before. I believe that, together, we can enact real change that matters in our lives, and especially in the lives of Black Americans, in every corner of this country.
Thanks for being on this team.
In unity,
Tom
Tom Perez
Chair
Democratic National Committee
