Loyalty Day, 2021

Proclamation 10198 of April 30, 2021

Loyalty Day, 2021

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On Loyalty Day, we celebrate our allegiance to the
project of this great Nation and the democratic ideals
woven into the fabric of our Constitution. As
Americans, we do not command loyalty, but seek to earn
it through our actions--including by living up to the
principles enshrined in our Constitution and respecting
the will of the people as reflected in the democratic
process. Drawn together by the promise of equality,
freedom, and justice, we are a Nation of shared ideals
and strong, resilient people. Here in America, loyalty
does not mean fealty to any one leader or political
party, nor does it mean unthinking praise or willful
ignorance of our shortcomings--it means loyalty to our
common ideals, and to one another. It means standing
united as one people, even as we cherish our
differences and respect dissent.

Our country is a diverse tapestry of many cultures,
heritages, religions, and languages, brought together
around the values and ideals we all share as Americans.
Together, we celebrate our differences and draw
strength from our common commitment to perfecting our
Union. No matter what challenges come our way, our
Nation holds strong together--bound by our Constitution
and the rule of law, uplifted by individual liberties
and promises of justice we have worked hard in each
generation to secure and expand, and consecrated by
those who have sacrificed to preserve, defend, and care
for our Nation.

We see loyalty in the members of our Armed Forces, who
selflessly serve in harm's way; in their families, who,
in the timeless words of the poet John Milton, ``also
serve who only stand and wait;'' in our educators, who
dedicate their lives to nurturing young minds; in our
first responders, who put their lives on the line to
save others; in all those who have the courage to call
out our Nation's imperfections when we fall short, and
who continue to push our society to live up to its
founding promise of freedom, justice, and equality for
all. May 1 is also International Workers' Day, and we
honor the workers whose service and sacrifice has
helped turn the tide against the COVID-19 pandemic. On
this day, we show our gratitude to our essential
workers--and to all of the workers who have organized
and fought to improve our Nation and create a fairer
and more just society for all.

To acknowledge the American ethos of patriotism and the
sacrifices so many of our fellow citizens have made,
the Congress, by Public Law 85-529, as amended, has
designated the 1st day of May each year as Loyalty Day.
On this day, let us reaffirm our commitment to the
values that bind us together and honor all those who
have defended our freedom.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 1,
2021, as Loyalty Day. This Loyalty Day, I call upon the
people of the United States to join in this national
observance, display the United States flag and pledge
allegiance to the Republic for which it stands.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
fifth.