Recently I’ve been thinking about the kind of legacy I want to leave as Maryland’s next governor and the legacies of trailblazers before me. My own family is a family of firsts, going back to 1894 when my grandmother was one of the earliest graduates of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. It was her perseverance and the power of education that allowed me to serve in the cabinet of the nation’s first Black president just three generations after my family was enslaved in this very state.

In 2019, I was humbled and honored to give the commencement speech at the same university my grandmother attended all those years ago. The message I told the graduating class is the same one that will guide me as Maryland’s next governor, and I wanted to share it with you:

Ultimately, our obligation is to live for the generations ahead of us.

That’s what it really means to be worthy of the legacy of those who came before us.

I hope you’ll be the kind of people who give back, who lift as you climb, and who help our nation become what it can be.

Just remember, when the light of opportunity shines on you, you have the chance to make those who came before you proud by expanding the reach of its glow.

I often point out that I was the first Secretary of Education to be kicked out of high school. Like many kids who have experienced trauma, I struggled after losing both of my parents and got in a lot of trouble. I was lucky enough to have incredible teachers who gave me a second chance at opportunity, and as a lifelong educator, I’ve made it my mission to extend that same branch of opportunity to every kid in every school in every zip code.

Whether it's investing in equitable schools or combating climate change, my pledge to you is to serve for the generations to come. Will you join my campaign to forge a more just and equitable future for Maryland?

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Thank you. I know with your support we can deliver on the promise of progress to create positive change for our great state.

With gratitude,
John

Paid for by John King for Governor, Eliza Leighton, Treasurer

John King for Governor
PO Box 8429
Silver Spring, MD 20907
United States

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