Thousands gather in Washington for 60th anniversary of civil rights march

On Saturday, thousands of people gathered in Washington, DC to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the famous civil rights march that became a milestone for the civil rights movement.

On a hot August day, at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, people of all ages and backgrounds came together to hear speeches celebrating gains in civil rights, and also hearing about what remains to be done to reach a more equitable society.

"Sixty years ago, Martin Luther King talked about a dream. Sixty years later we’re the dreamers. The problem is we’re facing the schemers," Reverend Al Sharpton, the last speaker, told the crowd. "The dreamers are fighting for voting rights. The schemers are changing voter regulations in states. The dreamers are standing up for women’s right to choose. The schemers are arguing whether they are going to make you stop at six weeks or 15 weeks."

The gathering was a a commemoration of Martin Luther King Junior's "I have a dream" speech which he gave on 28 August 1963 in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Like 60 years ago, the speeches focused on racial and economic equality, with a strong presence of union leaders.

We ended the March at the King Memorial after thousands came to the largest civil rights March so far this year.#MarchOnWashington#MOW60 pic.twitter.com/7dijVdxC09

— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) August 26, 2023

This time, there were more backgrounds and causes represented, though the focus on civil rights in the South, particularly in Florida, remained front and centre. 

As the speakers gave their speeches, attendees gathered under the shade of trees to escape the scorching heat. 
Among them was Glendia Cannon, co-pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Jersey City, who was sitting quietly on a lawn chair with a group of her fellow church members. She was used to the scene, having attended the March on Washington ever since it was first held in the 1960s, when she was a young girl.

"It was an experience of a lifetime," she told The New Arab. "Dr. King talked about Black people and the oppression we were going through, and how we needed to stick together in unity. And how if we didn't march, nothing would get done and there would be no equality."

Cannon, who grew up attending segregated schools in Atlanta and was required by law to sit at the back of the bus, was now sitting facing the Lincoln Memorial.

"I sat on the memorial as a young girl. What I learned was that we can do anything if we stick together. The thing is, we're going to need one another," she said. 

"I pray that the young people that are coming up today will catch hold of that dream and never let that dream die," she said.

Indeed, Saturday's march had drawn youths from all over the country who saw the gathering as an important platform to advance civil rights.

"We're basically trying to continue the dream," Joseph Camel, vice president of Youth Voice of Nevada, told TNA.

"The youth, especially Generation Z, is going to have a huge impact on the 2024 election because their rights are being targeted. My grandparents told me about this march when they were growing up. I came out to support and keep their dream alive. There's still a lot of work that has to be done." 

After the speeches, the attendees marched together to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, as they chanted "No justice, no peace" and other phrases of the continuing civil rights and social justice movement.