March On for Voting Rights 58 Years Later

Saturday, August 28, 2021, marks the 58th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. 

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was a peaceful demonstration against racial discrimination. The March on Washington took place in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963. Those that attended were in support of equal rights for all. This message was amplified during Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s infamous “I Have a Dream” speech.

According to USA Today, the focus of the 2021 March on Washington is voting rights. The march is even, being referred to as March on for Voting Rights. Organizers of the march will take the lead of King’s son, Martin Luther King III in demanding Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act. 

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act were created to preserve, protect, and expand African Americans’ voting rights. The John R. Lewis Voting Act is named after former U.S. House of Representative John Lewis. John Lewis was a civil rights activist before he was an American statesman. He passed away on July 17, 2020. The John R. Lewis Act is intended to include elements of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that was previously opposed by the Supreme Court. The For the People Act is intended to expand voting rights through partisan gerrymandering.