As a former social studies teacher, a parent, and a Black Marylander, Black History Month has a special significance in my life. 

Black History Month reminds us to celebrate all year long our community’s past and the strength and beauty that Black Americans have exhibited. It also presents the opportunity to reflect on the truth of our nation’s history: both the injustices when our country has fallen short of the promise of equality and democracy and the significant progress we’ve made toward building a “more perfect union.”

But, there’s still a lot of work left to do to continue that progress – and it’s going to take a shared commitment to building a more just and inclusive future to get us there. I am confident that together, we can and we will achieve a more prosperous and more equitable Maryland.

I am proud of our shared history, and I look forward to sharing more of my own family’s story in the coming weeks — including the journey from being enslaved to becoming the U.S. Secretary of Education under the first Black president in just 3 generations.

For now, I will leave you with my favorite poem by Langston Hughes: “I, too, am America.”

Despite those who seek to erase the truth of our history, we are still here. We, too, are America.

Thank you for your commitment to a more equitable future,

John King