"I once debated with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. about whether an African American would ever be elected president. He believed it would happen within the next 40 years at the time; I believed it would never happen within my lifetime. I have never been happier to have been proven wrong.

And since Barack Obama’s historic election, under unforgiving economic circumstances and in the face of the unyielding opposition once in office, we have made remarkable progress as a country, together.

He rescued our economy from a depression and is leading us toward greater shared prosperity. He expanded educational opportunity for our students, from Head Start investments to Pell Grant scholarships. For women, he is leveling the playing field in the pay we receive for the work we do, and protecting our rights to make health-care decisions that are right for us. And he kept his promise to provide every family with access to quality, affordable health insurance, including the 1.5 million North Carolinians who are currently uninsured.

But as Rev. King wrote, “all progress is precarious.” The progress made by one president can be easily rolled back by the next. And that means voting is not just important. It is imperative."