On Friday, August 28—the 63rd anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington “for Jobs and Freedom,” during which Martin Luther King delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech—thousands of people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial for the “Defend the Vote” march.
Organized by Reverend Al Sharpton of the National Action Network, the Drum Major Institute led by Martin Luther King III, and more than 90 labor, student, religious, and civic organizations, the demonstration condemned the restrictions on voting rights imposed by the Trump administration and Republican-led states and upheld by the conservative-majority Supreme Court. Restrictions on voting by mail and the elimination of predominantly Black congressional districts risk affecting the midterm elections scheduled for November.
In addition to Reverend Sharpton and Martin Luther King’s son, speakers included Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger.
Bernie Sanders, who was present at the 1963 march, recalled that “the March on Washington and Dr. King’s movement changed the course of American history. Now it’s our turn,” he added.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez closed the rally with a passionate speech: “They know that when African Americans fully exercise their political power, we unlock progress for all of America. And that’s what they’re trying to stop… This November, the first wave is coming… and this time, we intend to win it all.”