We applaud the Senate's swift confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Supreme Court earlier today.

As the first Black woman and first public defender to sit on the Supreme Court, Justice Jackson's confirmation is a milestone in the history of our nation. Throughout her confirmation hearings, Justice Jackson displayed a strong sense of integrity and intellectual vigor, despite attacks on her impressive credentials, leaving no doubt her nomination to the court was well-considered and well-deserved.

 We congratulate her on her groundbreaking confirmation. With cases on the docket impacting workers' rights and the very future of our democracy, we are pleased to have a principled jurist like Justice Jackson sitting on our nation's highest court.

More than 50 years ago on April 28, Workers Memorial Day, the Occupational Safety and Health Act went into effect, promising every worker the right to a safe job—a fundamental right. The law was won because of the tireless efforts of the labor movement, which organized for safer working conditions and demanded action from the government. Since then, unions and our allies have fought hard to make that promise a reality—winning protections that have made jobs safer and saved lives. But our work is not done. Each year, thousands of workers are killed and millions more suffer injury and illness because of dangerous working conditions that are preventable.

The AFL-CIO condemns the violent invasion of Ukraine by the Russian military. We stand in solidarity with the workers and their families who are impacted by the devastation, and offer our condolences for lives that have been lost. 

We join the global labor movement and our allies in calling for an immediate end to President Vladimir Putin’s military aggression and we support extensive economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union, particularly those focused on Putin and his protectors. These sanctions should be strengthened, by excluding Russia from the SWIFT international banking system and by taking effective multilateral action against tax havens and financial secrecy laws that protect Putin and his enablers. We further call on all U.S.-based corporations doing business in Russia to publicly condemn Putin’s government while calling for an end to the attack on Ukraine. We stand ready to assist the Biden administration in its efforts to implement and strengthen these measures, and we call on global leaders to build toward re-establishing peace and democracy in Ukraine and the region.

The 2022 Black History Month theme, “Black Health and Wellness,” explores "the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine, but also informal community practitioners (e.g., birth workers, doulas, midwives, naturopaths, herbalists, etc.) throughout the African Diaspora. 

"Black Health and Wellness" takes a look at how American healthcare has often underserved black communities. 

Black History Month started in the United States in 1926 and was envisioned by Carter G. Woodson to honor African Americans and raise awareness of Black history.  The month of February was chosen in recognition of Abraham Lincoln, the US President who issued the Emancipation Proclamation 1863, and Frederick Douglas, an African American social reformer, author, and abolitionist. It wasn’t until 1976, under President Gerald Ford, that Black History Month was officially recognized in the United States.