The Commitment March: Get Your Knee Off Our Necks 1963-2020
Anniversary of the March On Washington Shares Similar Messages With New Passions In Physical And Virtual Events
By Kia Lisby
Rev Al Sharpton leads anniversary rally through his National Action Network organization
In August 1963, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led one of the most impactful protest marches in history, “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”. More than 200,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to bring attention to the challenges and inequalities African Americans faced in society. The protest was a combination of a march for jobs and freedom. When it came to the well-being of African Americans in the workplace, social activist, A. Philip Randolph helped catapult the ending of racial discrimination in government defense factories and desegregating armed forces. The April 1963 protest in Birmingham, Alabama against the city’s segregation system, led to Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to merge and protect freedom. Randolph and King’s ideologies helped form what we know as the first “March on Washington”.
Though 57 years have passed since the first March on Washington, the same principles and concepts are still prevalent amongst other social injustices. This year’s Aug. 28 protest rose from the remorseless, brutal killing of George Floyd, hence “Get Off Our Neck” as the theme. The protest led by Reverend. Al Sharpton demonstrates a commitment to fighting for fair policing and criminal justice. It will also be a day of advocacy for police accountability reform, the Census, and for mobilizing voters for the November 3 election, with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) helping to execute efforts to register participants to vote and encouraging them to participate in the Census.
The 1983 anniversary of the March On Washington.
With COVID-19 deferring many plans for 2020, March on Washington has been an exception. Organizers of the event are making sure that the march complies with health guidance and local ordinances. Face masks are required and will also be provided on-site along with gloves and sanitizer. A temperature check will be administered by a registered nurse or doctor at the National Mall from 17th Street. A wristband and ticket for entry will be given to each person after the temperature check is given and masks are in place. Attendees will be in “grids”---sections enforcing social distancing. Event volunteers and staff will also be enforcing social distancing.
Safety and security is particularly important this year. The District has over 13,000 Coronavirus cases and more than 600 deaths. D.C. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bower has enforced a 14-day self-quarantine for attendees visiting from high-risk areas. Though the current state of society, and most importantly our lives, are uncertain, about 100,000 attendees are expected to attend this year’s March on Washington.
The schedule for the event is as follows: Attendees will gather at the Lincoln Memorial at 7 am, followed by a pre-program from 8 am – 11 am, continuing to the main program held from 11 am– 1 pm, the march will begin at 1 pm, with the conclusion by 3 pm.
For those unable to physically attend the march, a virtual march will be held via live stream on several platforms. For more information about the event, visit https://nationalactionnetwork.net/commitment-
