Friend: This Black History Month, I'm reflecting on the leaders who came before me and paved the way for progress – and no one quite bears that torch like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He put his life on the line in pursuit of justice and equality for all, spoke uncomfortable truths, and led marches for progress with other champions of democracy like John Lewis.

As the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the spiritual home of Dr. King, I'm committed to carrying on these heroes' legacies of action – both in my community and in Washington. But right now, shamefully, there are too many folks who aren't – including my Republican colleagues in the Senate.

The simple fact is this: You cannot honor Dr. King with empty words and dismember his legacy at the same time – but that's exactly what the GOP is trying to do. Nationwide, Republican lawmakers introduced more than 440 bills with voter suppression provisions in 2021 alone and eagerly signed some of the most restrictive of these bills into law. At the same time, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans have repeatedly blocked the legislation we need to protect voting rights and ensure equal access to the ballot box.

What we're seeing today is not the democracy Dr. King fought for. It is the deliberate engineering of democracy in reverse – where politicians are cherrypicking their voters, instead of the other way around.

With our very democracy at stake, it's up to all of us to fight back and defend the sacred right to vote. But we won't be able to keep up this critical fight for justice unless we hold onto our Democratic Senate majority – and with the chamber split 50-50, we can't afford to lose a single seat.

Voting rights – and everything that civil rights heroes like Dr. King and John Lewis fought for – are on the ballot this November. I'll never stop fighting for the rights of every American – no matter their skin color – but I can't do it alone. Experts at POLITICO say that protecting our Senate majority hinges on winning in Georgia, and the GOP is coming after me as its top target for defeat.

That's why, friend, I'm personally asking you to join me in this fight: If you believe in our people-powered mission, will you give $5 or more now to help stop the GOP's attacks on our democracy, keep Georgia blue, and win a country that works for all our people?

Thank you. If we take this road together, I know we can win. 

– Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock