Team — last week, John sent you a message sharing his family’s story of inequality and progress. In just a few generations, John’s ancestors went from being enslaved to having their relative, John King Jr., serving with the first Black president as his Secretary of Education.

We want you to hear what John has to say, in his own words, so please read the email below.

And when you’re done, please consider contributing to John’s campaign for governor of Maryland. Every dollar you can contribute is essential to securing a more progressive future for Maryland. →

----------Forward----------

If you don’t have a moment to read about John’s compelling life story today, you can still contribute to his campaign here.

Building a movement for real change may sound like a long shot, but the truth is my whole life has been about defying the odds. My ancestors could not have imagined that I would be where I am today.

I live in ​​Silver Spring, Maryland, less than 25 miles from where my great-grandfather, Charles King, and his family were enslaved. I cannot even fathom what they went through, and just one generation later, in 1894, my grandmother was one of the earliest graduates of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Because my ancestors survived, my family is here today.

And my family story continues to inspire me:

They instilled in me that I could do anything. With their guidance and example, I had the opportunity to do something they could not have imagined. → 

My family’s story is of inequality and progress — two attributes still very much alive in Maryland today.

But it is this background that pushed me to run for governor of Maryland. If elected, I will make history once more — as the nation’s first Afro-Latino governor and the first Black governor in Maryland— and in the journey to this role, I have both experienced struggles that are the legacy of our history and lived the promise of progress. Because of that, I will work tirelessly to move us forward together toward a more just future. ​​

I want an opportunity to serve Maryland and fight for those who have too often been ignored. But to do so, I need the resources to win this race.

Please, if you’re willing, contribute to my campaign for governor today. Together, we can make history. →

Thank you for listening to my story and for supporting my campaign,
John King