In 1963 more than 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C. to demand civil rights and equal opportunities for Black Americans. It was at the March on Washington that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his well-known “I Have a Dream” speech.
Today in 2020, marchers are coming together once again in the name of civil rights. The theme: “Commitment March: Get Your Knee Off Our Necks.”
“Dad would be very proud that people are coming together to stand up against injustice,” Martin Luther King III told CNN. “But certainly very sad that we’re still attempting to get justice.”
Marching for social justice is not the latest trend or cultural phenomenon. This is serious business. Ask Fannie Lou Hamer who was beaten so bad by police in 1963 that she ended up walking with a limp and had a blood clot behind her eye. Or John Lewis who was left with a fractured skull at the hands of an Alabama state trooper during the 1965 “Bloody Sunday” March in 1965. They and countless others made great sacrifices in the name of justice, freedom and equality.
Being effective means being informed. Before you go to a protest, wear a t-shirt or share posts on social media, do your research. Get a good understanding of the legacy of social action that, sadly, people of color just can’t seem to escape in this country.
Make a difference.
-Sojourner Justice
