Nikema Williams: “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Ours is not the struggle of 1 day, 1 week, or 1 year . .…”

“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Ours is not the struggle of 1 day, 1 week, or 1 year . . . ours is the struggle of a lifetime. . . . When Congressman John Lewis spoke these words, he was reminding us that justice work is much longer than a moment. It is a commitment, a calling, and a lifelong fight. Mr. Speaker, 60 years after he put his body on the line for our freedom, our struggle continues. We are marching in our communities and fighting back in committee rooms. We do this to push back against cuts to Medicaid that will leave NICU babies without care, cuts to SNAP that will take food out of the mouths of children and seniors, and cuts to education that will tell our students to dream smaller. We bring our full selves to the struggle in many ways: through early mornings in community centers and late nights on the House floor; by standing up at the mike and showing up in the margins; through townhalls and negotiating in the Halls of Congress; and through sitting in, standing firm, and speaking out. Getting into good trouble was never a one-size-fits-all call to action, and we honor the legacy of Congressman Lewis when we all find always to get in the way. Mr. Speaker, this moment is not the last struggle that we will face, but we fight anyway with hope, with intention, and with determination to achieve the beloved community.”