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Statement from Governor Phil Scott on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 18, 2021

Montpelier, Vt.—Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day:

“Today we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This past year, we’ve seen that legacy brought to life as our nation engaged in a long-overdue reckoning on systemic racism and injustice. Across the nation, Americans organized and spoke out to call for needed reforms. And this work is far from over.

“Just as Vermonters have risen together to meet the challenge of this pandemic, we must also rise as one to confront injustice and inequality. We must raise up the voices of those whose experiences we can never fully comprehend. We must examine our own prejudice and speak up when we see something that isn’t right. And we must listen, learn and seek out the best in one another.

“In his iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, Dr. King said that, ‘We will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.’ While the work to live up to our highest ideals is not yet complete, we place our hope in Dr. King’s vision of a future that is just and inclusive for all Americans.”