Friends,

Each February, we honor the contributions of Black leaders in our country's history, but it's something we should be celebrating each day.

From the civil rights movement to the space race, our nation wouldn't be where it is without the contributions of Black Americans. This year, Stacey Abrams and Black Lives Matter were nominated for Nobel Peace Prizes. We now have our first Black woman, Vice President Kamala Harris, in the White House. And the nation listened in awe as a brilliant young Black poet, Amanda Gorman, shared her beautiful words at the inauguration.

While Black Americans have made many key contributions to our nation, they have also shouldered some of the worst conditions of any community -- for centuries -- because of white supremacy. Black Americans endure the costs of a nation built on white supremacy. The pandemic blew the curtain back on these systemic inequalities. We also saw white supremacy at work in response to peaceful protests for basic human rights right here in Aurora, and we saw it when terrorists overtook our nation's capital.

It is on everybody to do more than recognize and appreciate Black people's contributions. We have to commit to undoing systemic racism and helping the Black community prosper without barriers.

One of the ways we can do that is through changing our institutions. Voting rights expansion, community policing, criminal justice reform, environmental safety, affordable health care, and equal opportunities in education, to name a few, are issues that Black leaders have mobilized on for years. It's why I was honored to co-lead the Law Enforcement Trust & Integrity Act last summer, along with my Congressional Black Caucus Colleagues, which follows the recommendations from the Obama Administration Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Working together is necessary to achieving racial justice.

I urge everyone to spend this month learning about Black history in its totality, listening to Black community member's voices, and taking action to uplift the Black community.

We can create a more equal country if we all pledge to do so. Join me in recommitting to the fight for racial justice by signing the petition now >>

Thank you,

Jason