Dear Friend,

“We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be a country that is bruised, but whole; benevolent, but bold, fierce, and free. We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation, because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation.” -Amanda Gorman, poet, at Inauguration of Pres. Biden

Today really is a new beginning.

We celebrate the opportunity to choose a better life for all people under the leadership of Pres. Joseph Biden, Jr. and Vice-President Kamala D. Harris—the first woman, first Black woman and first South Asian woman to serve in this seat, sworn in by the first Boricua justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor. We celebrate the swearing in of three new Senators: Georgia Senators Rev. Raphael Warnock and John Ossoff; and California Senator Alex Padilla. And none of this would be possible without the work of countless organizers who brought us to this point. Democracy is real because of the People. 

But in our relief and triumph, we must not lose sight of where we want to go, or forget where we’ve been. Our fight for a government of the people, by the people and for the people — a true democracy in which we uplift the voices and power of those who have traditionally been left behind — did not end at the stroke of noon today. We must work to transform our society into one that is equitable and just, out of a love for all people and with clear eyes about all we have yet to do, recognizing that there can be no democracy without equality.

Here in New York, we’re not committing to return to “normal.” Normalcy hasn’t been good enough for too many, for too long. We will hold ourselves to turning our aspirations into reality, so that one day we may say that New York City truly is the greatest city in the world in every sense. 

So let’s celebrate today, and embrace our role as loving disruptors pushing our country to finally live up to the values we have never fully realized: That all people really are created equal, with unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

In solidarity, 

Team Dianne