August 26th 2023.
This August will mark the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington For Jobs and Freedom, a historic event that brought together a coalition of Black civil rights leaders and their allies. This gathering was spearheaded by The Drum Major Institute and the National Action Network, and is now being commemorated with a re-commitment to the transformative power of collective action.
At the Lincoln Memorial's steps on August 28, 1963, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have A Dream” speech, an event orchestrated by Bayard Rustin. On Monday, President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris will meet with the organizers of the original march, and King’s three surviving children have also been invited.
Leading up to the march, several influential leaders met with Attorney General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General Kirsten Clarke to discuss pressing issues including voting rights, policing, and redlining. Among them was Rev. Al Sharpton, the leader of the National Action Network; he was introduced at the 37th anniversary of the March on Washington in 2000 by Coretta Scott King and now is fulfilling the charge Mrs. King gave him to keep the legacy of the march alive.
Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center For Nonviolent Social Change, spoke to the Associated Press about the current state of civil rights and the importance of vigilance. “We have to always remember, it’s difficult and dark right now, but a dawn is coming,” she said. “Unfortunately, we’re living in a time when there’s a younger generation who believes that my daddy’s generation, and those of us who came after, didn’t get enough done. And I want them to understand, you are benefiting and this is the way you’re benefiting.”
The 60th anniversary of the March on Washington For Jobs And Freedom will be a powerful reminder of the perseverance and strength of the civil rights movement. Those who have dedicated their lives to continuing the legacy of this movement are determined to ensure that the legacy of the March on Washington is kept alive, and that equal rights and justice are brought to marginalized communities around the world.
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