ICYMI: Ranking Member Scott Honors Black History Month
WASHINGTON – In honor of Black History Month, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, House Education and Workforce Committee, released remarks on the powerful connection between labor unions and civil rights movements.
Watch Ranking Member Scott’s floor remarks on YouTube.
“Hi, I am Congressman Bobby Scott, and I represent the third district of Virginia and serve as the top Democrat on the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
“This Black History Month, we are reminded that the labor and civil rights movements have always gone hand-in-hand. That is because these movements share the same core value: earning a fair living wage and being able to care for yourself and your family that’s a fundamental civil right.
“In the 1960s, organized labor was central to the civil rights movement. Leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. recognized the link between economic justice and racial justice. And Dr. King’s Poor People’s “Campaign explicitly fought to unite the labor and civil rights movements to address poverty and economic inequality across racial lines. In fact, unions were instrumental in organizing the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
“As we celebrate our progress this Black History Month, we must remember that we cannot abandon our commitment to protecting the right to organize so that workers can bargain for higher pay, better benefits, and safer workplaces. We know today—as Dr. King knew then— that we will never be able to achieve racial equality without also addressing economic inequality.”
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