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John, On this day in 1963, more than a quarter million people flocked to Washington D.C. for the March on Washington. Led by legendary Civil Rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, the course of our nation was forever changed. John, I was there that day. My father was president of the Illinois chapter of the NAACP – and in my household, once you could walk, you were marching as well. I joined him in countless demonstrations and rallies over the years, and though I was just a child in the stroller at the time, he made sure I was in Washington D.C. to see history be made.
An old photo of my father, Dr. Lucian Holman. Dr. King implored a nation that the children of America would be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. King’s Dream, along with the purpose and power of this nonviolent movement, was a key factor in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The March on Washington proved that when we raise our voices and demand to be heard, change is possible. It paved the way for people like me to be elected to Congress all these years later. But the story doesn’t end there One of my earliest memories is being pulled into the back of our house by my mother as chaos unfolded outside on our block. I was seven years old and Dr. King had just been shot and killed. I still remember my mother’s tears and my father’s anger that night, and I understood for the first time that standing up for what’s right was more than just important, it was everything. That moment sparked the activism that would eventually shape my life’s course. Though the March on Washington was sixty years ago, we still have so much more work to do. Our voting rights are under attack as far-right GOP politicians right here in Georgia make it more and more difficult for working folks to access the ballot box. Today, I’m honoring the Civil Rights leaders who fought so that people like me could have a voice in Congress. Their legacy lives on within me every day. Onward, Lucy McBath Lucy is committed to fighting for gun safety, democracy, and reproductive rights, and she needs our movement to continue standing strong beside her. Please consider making a donation to help Lucy continue to lead the fight for change in the halls of Congress.
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