Friend –

As we celebrate Black History Month, I am reflecting on the generations of leaders who carried the torch forward and uplifted me to become the person I am today: Carol Moseley Braun, Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, my mother and father, and so many others. I am the descendant of enslaved people, the granddaughter of a generation that lived under Jim Crow, and the daughter of parents who were barred for years from exercising their right to vote. I stand on the shoulders of the giants who have fought for equality and justice.

I’ve been blessed to serve for nearly 30 years in law enforcement and for five years in the U.S. House of Representatives. I've enforced the law, and now, I help write the law. 

But despite my personal story of opportunity, I know that for far too many Black Americans that same story is simply out of reach. From pay equity to quality healthcare to justice under the law, I am still fighting today for my children and grandchildren to live in a better world. 

The path toward equality is still being paved, and I'll do everything in my power to bend the arc of history toward justice. I know that if you join me, there are even brighter days ahead of us. 

Wishing you a celebratory and uplifting Black History Month.

Congresswoman Val Demings