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Fifty-seven years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to deliver his enduring “I Have a Dream” speech, closing out the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This afternoon, another March on Washington will take place in the same spot—this time featuring members of some of the families of Black Americans who have been killed or shot by police. If you weren’t able to make the trip to Washington, D.C. for the event, here’s how to watch it today.
What will the March involve?
The National Action Network (NAM)—a civil rights organization founded by Rev. Al Sharpton in 1991—has organized the March, officially named the Commitment March: Get Your Knee off Our Necks. Sharpton announced the event at George Floyd’s memorial service in June. The NAM explains that “this is a Commitment March, not a commemoration march, and we are marching for policing and criminal justice reform.”
The March also falls on the 65th anniversary of the murder of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black child who was abducted and lynched by two white men in 1955; after murdering him, the men dumped his body in a river in Mississippi. His murderers were later acquitted by an all-white jury after 67 minutes of deliberation. Till’s mother, Mamie Till Mobley, insisted on having an open-casket funeral, telling the funeral director to “let the people see what I’ve seen.”
The following speakers are scheduled to speak at the March today:
- Families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner and Jacob Blake
- Yolanda King, granddaughter of Martin Luther King
- Martin Luther King III
- Rev. Al Sharpton
- Tylik McMillian, youth coordinator, National Action Network
- Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
- Marc Morial, president, National Urban League
- Floyd family attorney Benjamin Crump
- Rep. Karen Bass
Those participating in person will go through thermometer check-in stations. Face masks will be distributed and must be worn, and physical distancing will be practiced, according to NAM.
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How to watch the Commitment March
Participants began gathering at the Lincoln Memorial around 7 a.m. today. The main event runs from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. EST. You can stream the March on the NAM or 2020 March websites, or through the livestream embedded above, provided by the NAACP. Streams are also available from The Washington Post and CBS News. It’s not the same as being there, but you can also show your support and solidarity by sharing the livestreams to your social media profiles—and inviting others to do the same.
from Lifehacker https://ift.tt/31DQ3Q1
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