"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” These were the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4,1967 in New York City, during his speech on Vietnam.

50+ years later, it is hard not to see that spiritual death everywhere.

Today, there were armed white supremacists marching on Virginia’s capital. Our government has ripped so many children from their families and put them into cages that they are losing track. In the US, about 1 in 6 children live in poverty, with children of color disproportionately impacted by America’s failure to act.

It is undeniable that these are dark times, but people like you are stepping up and helping create positive change in the community and the country. Together, we will beat back the darkness with light. My campaign is about bringing us all together, combating apathy and hate with a movement based in love and action.

It’s time to build a new America that taps into its unlimited potential, a new America that leverages the brilliance of children and people from diverse backgrounds. An America where we fight for what is right, not what is easy. It is time to live Dr. King’s dream, and take action in whatever way we are privileged to do so in order to make it a reality.

So I am asking you to look around at your neighborhood, your work, your school and ask yourself — what can I do to make this a better, more just world for all? Am I speaking truth to power? Am I challenging the status quo? Am I fighting oppression when I see it?

Ask yourself: What am I doing to help build this movement for love and justice?

In solidarity and love,

Jamaal Bowman