Dear Friend,Today, communities across our nation will come together – albeit a little differently this year – to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.But it’s impossible to commemorate today without addressing the immense amount of pain that our nation is in following the attack on the United States Capitol just twelve days ago.By now, I’m sure you have seen the photo of the mask-less man flying the Confederate flag in the Capitol and that witnessing that heinous display of hate infuriated you just as much as it did me. In addition to the fact that this was the first time that traitorous flag had been flown by an insurgent inside the Capitol building – something that couldn’t even be achieved by armies of the Confederacy during the Civil War – the place he carried it is significant as well.He walked the same hallway that’s home to the portrait of Shirley Chisolm, the first Black woman ever elected to Congress, around the corner from the very spot where Abraham Lincoln sat as a member of the House of Representatives, and just down the stairs from where the statues of Rosa Parks and Dr. King stand.This heinous act of hate still makes me sick to my stomach, and it’s a reminder of just how much work remains to achieve what Dr. King so eloquently called the “Beloved Community,” his dream of an America where justice, equality, and love of one another are the basis on which we function as a society.Now, as our community comes together to commemorate Dr. King, our children are watching and looking to us to lead the way, and to do so following his example.That’s why, as we continue his mission, we must do so free from the anger that is often so easy to hold onto. And we must follow the instructions that Dr. King gave to a group of his supporters immediately after his home in Montgomery, Alabama was bombed 65 years ago with his wife and daughter still inside.Just minutes after the explosion, holding his family close and with his house still in flames behind him, he said, “I want you to love our enemies. Be good to them, love them, and let them know you love them.”That is hard, I know. I was tested on my flight home the day after the Capitol attack – surrounded by 100 or so proud protesters calling themselves patriots, high-fiving each other, and chanting, “Stop the steal.”While we must hold those accountable who incited the insurrection at the Capitol, as well as the individuals who took part in it, we must also recognize the opportunity before us to follow Dr. King’s example – to lead with love and compassion, even when there are those who hold us in contempt.I commit to each of you that I will do my best to live Dr. King’s words in this moment and in the difficult days, weeks, and months ahead as we recover from the attack. Knowing that there are so many in our community who share in that commitment gives me hope that we will be able to create Dr. King’s Beloved Community – and that we will do so together.