In 1997, not many people thought a young Black state senator from Illinois named Barack Obama could one day become president. And even once he won the election, many folks doubted he could actually get such a bold agenda done.

In that same year, I was a high school social studies teacher and never could have imagined that, just three generations after my family was enslaved, I would become the U.S. Secretary of Education under the first Black president in our nation’s history.

It’s humbling to be a part of history. President Obama always said that history is like a relay race — you can’t accomplish everything in your lifetime, you have to receive the baton from your predecessor and pass it on to the next person. 

Whether as a teacher, principal, advocate, or U.S. Secretary of Education, I have used my position to close opportunity gaps and create a more equitable society. And as the next Governor of Maryland, I will continue to do so — but I need to know I have you with me.

Real change can only be made possible by a strong grassroots movement. If you believe that together we can improve things for the better, will you please take a moment to pitch in your very first contribution to our campaign today?

With any sized donation that you give today, you will be lighting the way for myself and our movement to continue all the way to Annapolis, where we can make historic strides with policies on economic dignity, education reform, and more to benefit all Marylanders.

So I’m asking one more time: Will you make your very first contribution to our campaign right now?