Thousands Gather in D.C. to Commemorate the March on Washington, 57 Years Later
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stood before thousands at the Lincoln Memorial and delivered the iconic “I Have A Dream” speech at the March on Washington. On Friday, thousands gathered again to commemorate the call for the end of racism at the “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” March.
Unfortunately, despite the passage of time, people are still calling for the end of racism with the added call to end police brutality that has ravaged the country.
It’s a beautiful day to demand JUSTICE at #MarchOnWashington! pic.twitter.com/uXMtScIwAR
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) August 28, 2020
The march was organized by the National Action Network (NAN), founded by the keynote speaker, Reverend Al Sharpton in 1991. The civil rights organization took precautionary measures due to COVID-19; all attendees had their temperatures taken upon entry and masks were required for the duration of the event.
Temperature checks. Wrist bands. Free hand sanitizer. Here’s what it takes to get into #MarchOnWashington #MarchOnWashington2020 @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/1Zug03KqN0
— Eric Flack (@EricFlackTV) August 28, 2020
Once gathered around the reflecting pool, gatherers heard from attorneys like Lee Merritt, activists like Martin Luther King III and from the families of those killed due to racism and excessive force by police such as Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd and Botham Jean. The father of Jacob Blake spoke on how his son is currently fighting for his life after being shot 7 times in the back by Wisconsin police. The days youngest speaker was the granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr., Yolanda King, who delivered an energized speech much like the one she gave just two years ago at the March for Our Lives.
In powerful remarks, MLK Jr.’s only granddaughter Yolanda Renee King calls on her generation to end systemic racism, police violence, gun violence, the climate crisis, and poverty, ‘ONCE AND FOR ALL, NOW AND FOREVER’ #MarchOnWashington pic.twitter.com/FQNajWMBcE
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) August 28, 2020
When it is was time for Sharpton to speak, he riveted the crowd with calls for justice and for changes in how as a society speaks about police brutality. He spoke on Black parents having serious conversations with their children about how to act when stopped by police. Sharpton hopes to see a change in the conversations, rather than speaking on how Black people can avoid being killed by police, he hopes to see police and other officials speak on how to end the hatred that causes these killings.
Rev. Al Sharpton: “It’s time we had a conversation with America. We need to have a conversation about your racism, about your bigotry, about your hate, about how you will put your knee on our neck while we cry for our lives.”#MarchOnWashington pic.twitter.com/KVrCr7y5md
— The Hill (@thehill) August 28, 2020
The event ended with a march from the Lincoln Memorial to the MLK Memorial. All in attendance surely hoped that the cries and chants that rang out could be heard all over the country. Megaphones could be heard echoing the phrases “No Justice, No Peace” and “Hey, hey, ho, ho! Racist police have got to go”. We stand in solidarity with all that continue to march and fight for the equality that we all deserve.
