DNC Chair Tom Perez and Black Caucus Chair Virgie M. Rollins released the following statement on Black History Month:

“This month is an opportunity to recognize the immense and invaluable contributions of African Americans to our nation. We honor scientists and entrepreneurs, public servants and activists, and individuals from all walks of life. We remember centuries of heroes who have broken down barriers of inequality – from Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth to Dr. King, Bayard Rustin, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Rosa Parks, and so many others, including our very own C. Delores Tucker, a founder of the DNC Black Caucus. We celebrate those who fought for abolition, who rode for freedom and marched for jobs and justice, who stood up and sat in for equality, who made the election of Barack Obama possible, and who continue to assert the fundamental truth that Black lives matter.

“But while Black History Month is about honoring the contributions of African Americans, we must also recognize that our journey toward racial equality and opportunity is far from complete. We must confront the fact that the echoes of slavery still reverberate throughout our society.

“Despite our great forward strides, systemic discrimination persists in our nation. We see it in courtrooms and classrooms, in doctors’ offices and job interviews, at traffic stops and awards ceremonies, in the water we drink and the air we breathe.

“As we celebrate Black History Month, the Democratic Party remains committed to combating the relics of injustice that continue to burden African Americans in every ZIP code across America.”