February is Black History Month -- a time to honor the struggles and triumphs of Black Americans who got us to where we are today as a country. It is a time to reflect on the progress we have made and the work that remains.

But make no mistake: Our hard-won civil rights are under attack.

President Trump and his Republican allies are rolling back civil rights protections, dismantling decades of diversity and affirmative action initiatives, and undoing critical police accountability reforms. Trump is doing what he told us he would do in Project 2025 and it isn’t just politics as usual -- it’s Jim Crow 2.0. 

I say this from experience. Since I was 12 and led my local NAACP youth chapter, I have fought for our civil rights -- from demonstrations at segregated drugstores to organizing for voting rights. I went to jail for those efforts. 

Trump and the GOP want to take us backward to a time when discrimination was the law of the land and justice was out of reach for too many. 

Our fight for justice, equality, and democracy is more urgent than ever. That’s why we are organizing, strategizing, and mobilizing to defeat Trump and his extremist allies at every level. 

I’m not giving up, and I hope you won’t either, John, because we need you with us. You are an essential part of our movement to protect voting rights, defend civil rights, and push forward the policies that build a more just and equitable America.

Black History Month is a reminder that progress is possible -- but only when we fight for it. Let’s stand together to ensure a future where justice and equality prevail.

Thank you,

Jim