‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Dear Friends,

Happy Black History Month!

During this month of celebration, we honor the rich history, culture and leadership of Black Americans who shape America — insisting on the truth, on joyful resistance and on our nation’s yet-realized promise of liberty and justice for all. We celebrate with the Congressional Black Caucus, the conscience of the Congress, and honor the leadership, contributions and sacrifices of its current and past Members — whom I am proud to serve with now and over the course of my career in elected office.

Sadly, we must also condemn the vile racism coming out of the White House. Once again, the “President” has chosen to insult former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. We want Americans, particularly our young people, to know that the vast majority of our country supports you and uplifts you despite the filth spewing from the current occupant of the Oval Office.

Celebrating Black History also reminds us of the powerful connection between human rights, civil rights and freedoms of the First Amendment — freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, right to peaceably assemble and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. With the freedom of speech, we speak truth to power. With the freedom to assemble and petition the government, we connect with one another to advocate and demand the government serve the people. And the freedom of the press makes information readily available and holds the government accountable because, as we know, facts matter and knowledge is power.

Make no mistake, the First Amendment is under siege here at home. Facts are challenged, truth is distorted and the press is treated by those in power as an enemy (fake news) rather than as a vital partner. Trump is arresting journalists to intimidate the press from reporting his crimes and avoid accountability in Minneapolis and all across the country. Trump’s Department of Justice is threatening prosecution for people exercising free speech. Corporate decisions are gutting local, national and international journalism. And with all of this, communities are losing watchdogs, the truth loses megaphones, and democracy loses its guardians. When the newsrooms are weakened, our republic is weakened — because democracy dies in darkness.

We are at an inflection point in the history of our country and our democracy — and we must insist on speaking the truth and exposing what’s really going on. They are doing this because they don’t want the public to have access to facts and they want to conceal/misinform their failed record on everything — health care, cost of living, safety, freedom and dignity. The American people are working harder than ever to withstand Trump’s tariffs, rising costs and cuts to health care. Yet rather than address the crises he created, he orders ICE agents to inflict terror on immigrant communities and lies about any of the messes he has created.

Yet even in this season of perpetual cruelty and chaos of Trump and Congressional Republicans, the goodness of the American people gives us hope. Let us all courageously and collectively do our part to put an end to this season of cruelty and chaos and bend the moral arc of our country toward justice, prosperity and freedom.

Together we’ll keep building a nation of friends, where immigrants make America more American and our flag is still there — as we pledge, with liberty and justice for ALL.