diff --git a/examples/rgb_display_minipitftstats.py b/examples/rgb_display_minipitftstats.py
index 213b188..ae6556c 100644
--- a/examples/rgb_display_minipitftstats.py
+++ b/examples/rgb_display_minipitftstats.py
@@ -50,6 +50,11 @@
 # Some other nice fonts to try: http://www.dafont.com/bitmap.php
 font = ImageFont.truetype('/usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSans.ttf', 24)
 
+# Turn on the backlight
+backlight = digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.D22)
+backlight.switch_to_output()
+backlight.value = True
+
 while True:
     # Draw a black filled box to clear the image.
     draw.rectangle((0, 0, width, height), outline=0, fill=0)