All Sharpton has the march going in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Civil Rights march 57 years ago….
Harris plans to virtually address a march in Washington on Friday, seeking to draw attention to the issue of police brutality against Black Americans.
She is scheduled to appear at the event, titled “Commitment March: Get Your Knee Off Our Necks,” that was planned earlier this summer in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in the custody of Minneapolis police. The event has taken on additional urgency following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis.
Organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton, the event is expected to draw thousands to Washington and coincides with the 57th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” address. Speeches will be delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial…
The remarks from the Democratic vice-presidential nominee followed fiery speeches from a litany of prominent activists. Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) both railed against systemic racism in person from the steps of the memorial.
Harris’s message, delivered virtually, detailed her story as a child of civil rights activists and urged others to continue the efforts started by previous generations.
“I have to believe if they were here today, they would share in our anger and frustration as we continue to see Black men and women slain in our streets and left behind by an economy and justice system that have too often denied Black folks our dignity and rights,” Harris said.
She talked about how the lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till was the catalyst for John Lewis’s life of activism — and she said the deaths of George Floyd and others are activating a new generation.
“The road ahead is not going to be easy, but if we work together to challenge every instinct our nation has to return to the status quo, and combine the wisdom of long-time warriors for justice with the creative energy of young leaders today, we have an opportunity to make history,” Harris said, adding, “Let’s march on in the name of our ancestors and our children and grandchildren.”…
image….Ethan Miller/Getty Images