Lin-Manuel Miranda took part in congressional events on Capitol Hill Thursday that marked the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Miranda, who gave pre-recorded remarks, was introduced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In her introduction, she described the “Hamilton” creator as “one of the great creative talents of our time.”
Miranda then appeared onscreen to deliver a speech where he called for unity and a renewed commitment to fighting for American democracy.
“A new year brings hope for the future, new energy to face the tasks ahead of us, and a renewed promise to strengthen the foundations of our democracy,” Miranda began. “We are all stewards of the American experiment, working to pass down to our children and our grandchildren a more perfect union that treats all its citizens with fairness and equity.”
He continued, “We should never take our rights and liberties for granted, and we must remain committed to finding a way forward together. That’s what I wrote about in the song ‘Dear Theodosia’ from ‘Hamilton.’”
As the first notes of “Dear Theodosia” began to play, Miranda concluded his speech with a call to action.
“I believe no challenge is worth abandoning our efforts to unite as Americans. We will keep working, generation after generation, until we reach that someday,” he said.
Various members of the three current “Hamilton” casts participated in a virtual performance of the song. Although Miranda’s speech was tailored to the Jan. 6 anniversary, the performance itself appears to have been recorded in the fall of 2020 in the midst of election season.
Other commemorative events at the Capitol included a conversation between historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Jon Meacham, testimonies by various U.S. representatives, and speeches by President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris.
Watch the full video here. Pelosi’s introduction begins at 9 minutes and 11 seconds, and the performance begins at 10 minutes and 32 seconds.