Building a movement for real change and working towards a more equitable future might be hard to fully envision, but the truth is I am alive today because my ancestors survived with hope for a future they could not see.

My great-grandfather, Charles King, and his family were enslaved, and the small cabin in which they lived still stands in Gaithersburg, MD — about twenty-five miles from where I now live in Silver Spring, MD. I have had the opportunity with my wife and daughters to visit this cabin, which sits not thirty yards from the main house, and reflect upon the incredible cruelty of the institution of slavery. My family’s history of resilience despite unimaginable challenges and the knowledge that we have much work to do as a society to dismantle the legacy of systemic racism — from slavery to segregation to redlining — are central to my fight to move toward an ever more just future.

When I think about the primary reasons I am running for office, this cabin and my ancestors who lived there are at the forefront of my mind. I am running for them — to make good on the promise of a better future for Marylanders for generations to come and to represent the real possibility for progress no matter your background.

In just a few generations, my family went from being enslaved to serving in the White House. I’ve seen firsthand that real change is possible, and I’m running for governor to ensure others can experience the same.

I want to continue making positive change by serving the people of Maryland as the next governor. But I need your support to do so — so please, will you join me in building this movement and contribute to my campaign today?

Thank you for reading my story and believing in my campaign,

John King