This week we have seen the best and the worst in our country.

In the early hours of the morning on January 6th, we saw the way forward in Georgia, where the man who preached from Dr. King's father's pulpit, Rev. Raphael Warnock, was declared the winner in the Senate race, followed later that day by Jon Ossoff, flipping the two seats we needed to win control of the Senate.

Their victories were made possible by Black voters who faced every voter suppression tactic imaginable, but who heeded the words of Dr. King: that "progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability." This progress is the product of years of hard work by grassroots organizers in Georgia, and supporters like you who were committed to creating change in our country from the ground up. It allows us to get to work restoring confidence in our government, navigating our way out of this public health crisis, and rebuilding our economy so that it works for everyone -- not just Wall Street and the top 1%.

That very same day, we saw white supremacist domestic terrorists, incited by President Trump, storm the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the will of American voters. And they were treated very differently than Black Lives Matter protesters were treated this summer, when peacefully marching for justice and civil rights.

Everyone involved in this insurrection must be held accountable, including President Trump. That’s why I have called on Vice President Pence and the cabinet secretaries to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from office to prevent him from doing more damage to our country and our democracy during his final days in the White House.

We must also have a full investigation into how our law enforcement, intelligence, and defense agencies, at all levels, were so unprepared, and why the response was wildly out-of-proportion to the grave threat to our democracy. And we must continue to fight for real reform to an unequal justice system that was on full display Wednesday.

That reform will be part of our work in the new Democratic Senate. Together with President Biden and Vice President Harris, we will work to bring out the best in our country, rather than worst. There’s cause for hope though -- democracy still won on Wednesday night. Congress reconvened to certify the election results, and in less than two weeks, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the next president and Kamala Harris as the next vice president of the United States.

Change only happens when we do not give in to fear, hate, and division, and when we stand up to those who sow it. Thank you for all you do.

With gratitude,

Sherrod