Congressman Johnson Commemorates Black History Month

This month, I hope you'll join me in celebrating Black History Month.

50 years ago, The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a revealing interview to NBC News that acknowledged the soul searching and agonizing moments he'd gone through since his most famous speech in 1963. He told NBC the old optimism of the civil rights movement was a little superficial and now needed to be tempered with a solid realism.

I feel like we're going through another moment like this today – that we now have to fight for the progress we've made and do all we can to prevent a backslide into the old days where discrimination is not just outwardly accepted but the law.

I pledge to work with my colleagues and the good people of Georgia's Fourth District to address issues of significance that affect the African American community and all communities – including strengthening our access to the ballot, good jobs, health care, criminal justice reform and ensuring that our communities have access to safe and reliable transportation -- which will increase access to better jobs and economic empowerment.

The rich legacy and profound contributions of African Americans is something we can all rejoice in and commemorate.

This Black History Month, I encourage you to join me in learning more and celebrating the role African Americans have played in shaping our great nation and working to make a stand that we won't go back. We will never go back.