Friend --

Today, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and do so at a moment when hate, divisiveness, and ugliness are on the rise.

Now more than ever, we must lean into his legacy.

Dr. King championed racial justice and equality like no other American in history. He preached love in the face of hate and understanding in the face of ignorance.

As Dr. King once said, "Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."

Today, let us put the ugliness and divisiveness aside and reflect on what we love about our country, our neighbors, and each other.

I am deeply in love with America and our steadfast commitment to perfecting our union, through all the ups and downs.

I love how we were not founded on language or geography, but rather on a set of democratic ideals and principles designed to morally anchor our collective will, from freedom, to equality, to fairness.

I love our diversity and how it makes our endeavor as a nation, human history’s grand experiment in democracy.

And I love how in America, a little black boy from a working-class family in upstate New York -- can one day grow up to be a congressman with a rap album and represent a district that is nearly 90-percent white and the eighth-most rural in the entire country.

We still have so much to learn from how Dr. King challenged us to look beyond what divides us.

I firmly believe there's more common ground to be found than people think -- after all, we all want our children to have a fair shake at life, to have equal access to a strong education, to land good-paying jobs, and to live in safe and secure communities.

Dr. King's message was grounded in peace, forgiveness, and love -- a unifying and powerful combination for change. With that in mind, my hope is that you spend today reflecting on what you love.

Love,

Antonio Delgado