John,

On the fourth Saturday in August 1963, more than 200,000 people came to Washington, D.C., to demand freedom, equality and justice. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was held at a time of huge struggle—against segregation and racial discrimination, and for voting rights, civil rights, education and economic rights.

I hope you will join the AFT and so many inspiring individuals and allies to mark the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, this Saturday, Aug. 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Click here to RSVP and pre-order your free T-shirt to pick up at the march.

We are at an inflection point where freedoms have been limited by extremist politicians and the Supreme Court. This weekend’s March on Washington is being described as “not a commemoration, but a continuation” of the fight for freedom, for justice, for public education, for economic security, and for real solutions for our kids and communities.

AFT leaders like Bayard Rustin, a key leader and architect of the march, understood the lifeline connection that existed between America’s labor movement and the movement to advance civil rights. We are all in this together. The AFT has continued to build on the shared legacy and fight that we waged all those years ago as we stood with the likes of A. Philip Randolph, Joachim Prinz, John Lewis, Martin Luther King Jr. and others to demand what all communities deserve.

Though we’ve made progress toward a better society for all, there is still so much work to be done to protect and expand civil rights. Extreme lawmakers across the country are ruthlessly curtailing voting rights, stopping workers from organizing, whitewashing history, dismantling public schools, snatching resources away from communities in need of affordable housing, limiting access to healthcare, and much more to perpetuate systemic injustices. It’s time that we stand up and demand real solutions, like investments in public education, care for the well-being of our children and communities, and safe environments where everyone can thrive.

We are all in this together—we were in 1963, and we are now. This march is “not a commemoration, but a continuation” of the work we must all do together.The time is now to take action and fight for our democracy and our future. Click here to RSVP and pre-order your free T-shirt to pick up at the march.

See you there.
Randi Weingarten
AFT President