Throughout the month of February, we’ve been pleased to celebrate the lives and achievements of so many Black Americans that have left an indelible mark on the history of our great nation. We’ve featured scientists like Percy Julian, authors like Octavia Butler and bell hooks, and brave athletes like Ibtihaj Muhamad.
And of course I’m honored to follow in the footsteps of the incomparable Ambassador Terence A. Todman, one of my predecessors as Ambassador to Spain and Andorra.
Yet as we celebrate Black History Month, we recognize the persistent discrimination and challenges faced by Black communities in the United States and around the world, throughout history and continuing today.
As such, today I am proud to display a banner affirming that Black Lives Matter.
As Amanda Gorman said in “The Hill We Climb,” her poem for President Biden’s inauguration just over a year ago, “being American is more than a pride we inherit. It’s the past we step into and how we repair it.”