Washington, D.C.— As the Commitment March draws thousands to Washington on the 57th anniversary of the first March on Washington, People For the American Way President Ben Jealous released the following statement:
“It is deeply moving to see thousands of people at the Commitment March honoring the 57th anniversary of the march on Washington. At that march, Dr. King spoke eloquently about his dream for America. He dreamed of an America where little black boys and girls would be judged based on the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Nearly six decades later, the maiming and killing of Black people at the hands of police, widespread voter suppression and the unleashing of federal agents on peaceful protesters simply attesting that Black Lives Matter, tells us everything we need to know about how much further America has to go to achieve King’s dream. It’s also a reminder of the great lengths some are willing to go to keep America rooted in a racist past. We join the marchers today in calling for an end to police violence, including passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, and an end to the systematic disenfranchisement of the Black vote -- including passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. We must commit ourselves to demanding action on these urgent priorities to strengthen our democracy, until as Dr. King said, 'justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.'”
About People For the American Way
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: https://www.pfaw.org.
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