Statement on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington

Washington, DC (August 28, 2013) - Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement on the 50th anniversary of the August 28, 1963 March on Washington:

"Fifty years ago, civil rights leaders led the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom to demand justice and equality for African-Americans and all Americans. Over a quarter million people traveled by bus, automobile and train to Washington, DC to make their voices heard and demand that their government respond to their demands: equality, economic justice and an end to all racial discrimination. Fifty years ago, my friend and colleague Rep. John Lewis demanded voting rights for African-Americans who were under vicious attack for attempting to exercise their Constitutional right to vote. Fifty years ago, in front of the Lincoln Memorial, the nation heard Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his inspiring "I Have a Dream... speech, deliver a call to action, and tell the nation's leaders that "we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.... That march led to passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act.

"Today, fifty years later, we celebrate the importance of the March on Washington and remember the brave and fearless champions who fought, bled and died to eliminate racial discrimination. We also come together to recognize that the fight for justice and righteousness is not over. Within hours after the Supreme Court struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act in June, states were already erecting barriers to limit the ability of African-Americans and others to participate equally in the American democratic process. Millions of Americans are unable to afford education, find jobs that allow them to support their families, or save for retirement. We must come together not only to restore voting rights, but to achieve economic justice and opportunity for all.

"The lesson we must take away from the 1963 March on Washington is that all of us must be part of the fight for justice and equality. We must work together to ensure that America is a land of opportunity for all, an America where every person- regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or religion -- is given equal opportunity and treated fairly under the laws of our land....

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