Dear Friends,

For nearly fifty years we have marked Black History Month by recognizing and honoring the contributions and achievements of Black Americans. It’s a time to celebrate and highlight the wide-ranging roles so many have played in our country’s history. We also reflect on the contributions of African Americans and how important it is for all of us to make our communities more equitable and just.

I’m committed to ensuring that every American, regardless of race, has the opportunity to work, grow, and succeed. That’s why I believe that investment in infrastructure, innovation, and training for the jobs of the future are essential to creating a path to prosperity.

Last year our nation saw Kamala Harris sworn in as America’s first Black Vice President, Raphael Warnock was sworn in as Georgia’s first Black U.S. Senator, the Senate confirmed Lloyd Austin as the first Black Secretary of Defense, and Amanda Gorman became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history.

These and many more historic achievements should be celebrated, and it is incumbent upon us to keep this history alive not just through our words but through our actions. We must work to break the systemic barriers that prevent Black leaders from reaching the upper echelons of government and many parts of society.

As Chair of the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth, I am working in a bipartisan way to identify how we can strive together in the public and private sectors to bring opportunity to our communities. It will take commitment, time, and effort, but hard work has never held us back.

We continue to fight tenaciously for progress, to strengthen voting rights and protect our democracy, and we must work together to uplift those among us who are disadvantaged by the system.

I hope you’ll join me not just this month, but every month in continuing this critical work together.

- Jim