Creating a Multicultural Nation Without Racism
On August 28, 2022, Race and Grace Ministries, LLC and Ending Racism USA co-sponsored a virtual commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. More than 100 people joined to be inspired by what happened 49 years ago, to reflect on what has been accomplished, and to recommit to the goal of ending racism. The Zoom meeting was recorded. You can watch the entire event or clips of the presenters.
In 2013, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Bayard Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. The Presidential statement to the press read:
“Bayard Rustin was an unyielding activist for civil rights, dignity, and equality for all... and fought tirelessly for marginalized communities at home and abroad. An openly gay African American, Mr. Rustin stood at the intersection of several of the fights for equal rights.”
Veteran civil rights and labor leader A. Randolph was the organizer of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The fact that the March gathered a quarter of a million people was a tribute to his skill as an organizer. His final challenge to those gathered was, “When we leave, it will be to carry on the civil rights revolution home with us into every nook and cranny of the land.” That challenge is as relevant today as it was in 1963.
Although I have read what is commonly referred to as Martin Luther King's Dream speech several times in the past, preparation for this conference sent me back to read the speech again. What strikes me most today is how contemporary the speech is. With just a few changes to update the language to what we use today and several clarifications, the speech would be a powerful expression of our current situation and a description of where we need to go from here.
People think of the 1963 March on Washington as Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” march, but what was important that day wasn’t any particular speech but the fact that for the first time so many people, from such a broad range of our society, stood together and demanded that America live up to its promise.
When I saw that the crowd on the Mall was so huge, I began to believe that dedication to equality was common among Americans. The March gave me new faith in America, and motivation to return to my organizing.