Political Quotes

“During one of my floor speeches last week, I shared that President Biden's Build Back Better plan embodied the vision of the American people and is the kind of legislation that assures our people, hardworking Americans across the country, that we will not abandon them in their time of need. Now, I love history. And tomorrow is a very special day in the Virgin Islands. It is Contract Day. I can't help but make the connection between the landmark provisions outlined in Build Back Better, this transformational piece of legislation, and what is happening in our Halls of Congress as we come to the point of passing that, with the struggle that took place in my home on St. Croix on October 1, 1878. Then known as the Danish West Indies, on that day in history, almost 150 years ago, four brave, stalwart women led the St. Croix Labor Rebellion, also known to us in the Virgin Islands as ``Fireburn.'' We honor the memory and sacrifices made by our ancestors on this day, which we call Contract Day. Now, after slaves in the Danish West Indies organized, fought, and took their freedom from chattel slavery in 1848, a new type of slavery was formed in a labor bill the following year to regulate the now free workers. The law stipulated a day wage and restricted and confined workers to remain on one plantation for the entire year. That location could only change on Contract Day, October 1.…”