On May 1, the Victims of Communism – St. Louis Commission (VOC-STL) celebrated National Loyalty Day with food, giveaways, and great speakers on historic Cherokee Street in St. Louis. Every year, May 1 is a day to reaffirm loyalty to the United States and to recognize the American heritage of freedom.
What: Loyalty Day Celebration
When: 12:00 – 2:00 pm CST on Saturday, May 1
Where: 2124 Cherokee St, St. Louis, MO 63118 (outdoor event)
First observed in 1921 as Americanization Day, the holiday counterbalanced the Communist celebration of Labor Day on May Day. On July 18, 1958, U.S. Congress (Public Law 85-529) made the day an official holiday. President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed May 1, 1959, the first official observance of Loyalty Day. Each year since its inception as a legal holiday in 1958, every President has recognized the day with an official proclamation.
“This Loyalty Day, let us remember that what defines us as one American people is our dedication to common ideals — rather than similarities of origin or creed — and let us reaffirm that embracing this truth lies at the heart of what it means to be a citizen.”
— Barack Obama’s Presidential Proclamation on Loyalty Day, 2016
“For nearly 30 years, Americans have celebrated May 1 as Loyalty Day. This is a day to reaffirm our loyalty to our land of liberty and to recall with pride and gratitude the generations of our countrymen who preserved our freedom by their loyalty to America”
— Ronald Reagan’s Presidential Proclamation on Loyalty Day, 1987
Speakers
Welcome and Introduction
Kim McGrath, VOC-STL Commission Director
Dan Powell, VOC-STL Strategic Development Chair
Voices for Freedom
Col. Jack Jackson (Ret.), Former MO state representative
Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, Witness of communism (Cuba)
Adela Peugnet, Retired social worker and educator
Igor Proleiko, Witness of communism (Soviet Union)
Dr. Juan Cascarano Torres, Witness of communism (Venezuela)
