Thousands of Americans march on Washington on Saturday to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Junior; 50 years after the civil right icon gave his famous Å“I have a dream” speech.
The Å“National Action to Realize the Dream” has been organized by US civil rights leaders and the grandson of Martin Luther King.
Organizers expect 100,000 people to march from the National Mall’s Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument, passing by the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial.
More than 40 groups are expected to participate in Saturday’s event which includes a morning prayer and a series of speeches.
Before the march, speakers addressed a crowd of thousands, calling for reversing the growing inequality in America.
“Tomorrow, we’re going to turn the heat up on voter rights, on jobs and on justice,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton, previewing Saturday’s march.
“The dream is not a static dream, the dream lives and evolves,” the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. told the crowd. “The dream of ’63 was to end barbarism and humiliation. From Texas across to Florida, up to Maryland, we couldn’t use a single public toilet.”
The marchers are also calling on authorities to take action on unemployment, voting rights, gun violence, womenâ„¢s rights and immigration reforms.
Parents of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager killed in Florida last year, spoke to the crowd about racial profiling and equal rights for young African Americans.
HJ/HJ
Republished from: Press TV