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The provisions of this chapter shall be deemed an exercise of the police power of the territory for the protection of the public welfare, health and peace of the people of this territory and in fulfillment of the provisions of the Revised Organic Act of this territory concerning Civil Rights.
The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the territory has the responsibility to act to assure that every individual within this territory is afforded an equal opportunity to enjoy a full and productive life and that failure to provide such equal opportunity, whether because of discrimination, prejudice, intolerance or inadequate education, training, housing or health care not only threatens the rights and proper privileges of its inhabitants but menaces the institutions and foundation of a free democratic state and threatens the peace, order, health, safety and general welfare of the territory and its inhabitants. A Virgin Islands Civil Rights Commission is hereby created to encourage programs designed to insure that every individual shall have an equal opportunity to participate fully in the economic, cultural and intellectual life of the territory; to encourage and promote the development and execution by all persons within the territory of such programs; to eliminate and prevent discrimination in employment, in places of public accommodation, resort or amusement, in educational institutions, in public services, in housing accommodations and in commercial space and to take other actions against discrimination as herein provided; and the Commission established hereunder is hereby given general jurisdiction and power for such purposes.