WASHINGTON (AURN News) — Sixty-three years after the historic March on Washington, thousands are expected to return to the Lincoln Memorial on Friday with a new call to action: “Defend the Vote.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III, the National Action Network, the Drum Major Institute and the NAACP are leading the march. Organizers say the movement is centered on voting rights, economic dignity and affordability as critical midterm elections approach.
The 1963 march was officially called the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Its demands included voting protections, fair employment, better wages and federal civil rights legislation.
This year, organizers say the goal is to “fight forward,” turning public protest into sustained political action.
The gathering begins at 8 a.m. at the Lincoln Memorial, with the program starting at 9 a.m. On Saturday, the NAACP will hold a nationwide day of action featuring canvassing, phone banking and voter outreach.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
