We put people at the center of change.

Samuel Gompers

As founder and 37-year president of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), Samuel Gompers is credited with winning unprecedented rights and protections for the American worker. Never wavering in his belief that power for the worker lay in collective action and honest negotiation, Gompers experienced unequaled success in organizing millions of laborers into a single national organization. Read more on Samuel Gompers.

Social issues Samuel Gompers addressed:
•   Unemployment
•   Civil rights
•   Child labor laws

Social issues that need to be addressed today:
•   Unemployment – The annual average unemployment rate for the civilian labor force 16 years and over was 9.3 percent (in 2009).*
•   Civil Rights – The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, the workplace and by facilities that serve the general public. Even though we have made progress, prejudice and racism are still with us. The need to protect the equal rights of all is as important as ever.
•   Child Labor – Each year, an estimated 300,000 to800,000 children toil under the hot sun working on farms across the U.S.***

* http://www.bls.gov/cps/prev_yrs.htm
** http://www.bls.gov/opub/rylf/pdf/chapter4.pdf
*** http:/www.ncfh.org/docs/fs-Child%20Labor.pdf

Location

Extra Mile Pathway Map

The Extra Mile begins at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th Street, NW and continues north on 15th Street to G Street, NW. There, at the Old Ebbitt Grill, it turns east on G Street for two blocks to its intersection with 13th Street. As honoree medallions are added in future years, the Pathway will be continued on G Street.

Transportation

The closest Metro stations are Metro Center on the red line and McPherson Square on the blue and orange lines.

Hours and Accessibility
The Extra Mile is located on the sidewalks of downtown Washington, D.C., so it is always open and fully accessible.

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Samuel Gompers