Fellow Virgin Islanders,
Commissioner Gary Molloy and the V.I. Department of Labor encourages you to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday was on Sunday, January 15th with the national holiday in his namesake on Monday, January 16th.
Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most visible activists during the civil rights movement in the 1950s. His innovative nonviolent method of civil disobedience laid the ground work for Black Americans’ right to vote, labor rights, and desegregation.
Dr. King Jr. has always advocated for labor rights and progress. In a riveting speech at the Illinois AFL-CIO Convention in October 1965, Dr. King Jr. said “The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope of progress. Out of its bold struggles, economic and social reform gave birth to unemployment insurance, old age pensions, government relief for the destitute, and above all new wage levels that meant not mere survival, but a tolerable life”.
In observance of Dr. King Jr., let us remember all of the progress that has occurred within the country, and continue to be active members of our community. His call to action reminds us that we are all valuable people capable of advancing change in the world around us.
Respectfully,
Gary A. Molloy
Commissioner
