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Just a few days short of the 50th anniversary of the historic March on the Mall of August 28, 1963, tens of thousands of demonstrators came together once again to remember that moment and to keep the torch for freedom lit.
Civil rights leaders and politicians spoke this past Saturday on the continuation of the struggle for economic and civil rights for all, regardless of race, class, or sexual orientation.
Participants filled the mall in Washington, DC from the Lincoln Memorial to the end of the Reflecting Pool next to the Memorial of World War II. The first march was when Dr. Martin Luther King gave his eloquent and moving “I have a dream” speech, which is still taught and recited in schools across the country. The ’63 march was one of the largest assemblies of people supporting human rights in the history of such demonstrations.
“This morning we affirm that the struggle must and will go on in the cause of our nation’s quest for justice, until every eligible American has the chance to exercise his or her right to vote, unencumbered by discriminatory or unneeded procedures, rules or practices,” said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Holder is conducting lawsuits with the Department of Justice against Texas and North Carolina for pushing restricted voting laws.
“It must go on until our criminal justice system can assure that all are treated equally and fairly in the eyes of the law and it must go on until every action that we take reflects our values and that which is best about us.”
