Thousands of marchers have taken to the streets of Washington, D.C. to march for “Jobs and Justice,” mirroring the same events from half a century ago when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others lead the March on Washington. President Barack Obama will deliver a speech in honor of the “Let Freedom Ring” commemoration at the Lincoln Memorial, according to The Daily Mail. He is scheduled to speak at 2:45 p.m.
Reportedly, Obama will stand in the same spot where on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial Dr. King delivered his integral “I Have A Dream” speech to 250,000 participants in 1963.
Obama has made clear that half a century of time is the perfect time for reflection. During a radio interview with “The Tom Joyner Morning Show,” Obama mentioned a variety of advancements in U.S. racial equality, including equal rights before the law, a more accessible judicial system, and increases in Black elected officials and chief executives.
But Obama noted that Dr. King’s speech was also about jobs and justice:
When it comes to the economy, when it comes to inequality, when it comes to wealth, when it comes to the challenges that inner cities experience, he would say that we have not made as much progress as the civil and social progress that we’ve made, and that it’s not enough just to have a black president, it’s not enough just to have a black syndicated radio show host. read more at newsone.com
Steam the day’s festivities, including Obama’s speech here:
Obama, the country’s first black president, is expected to use his speech to look at the progress made in civil rights since King’s time, but also point to existing struggles, including poverty, voting rights and criminal justice. His speech Wednesday will be the culmination of events that began last Saturday, including a weekend full of speakers from Rev. Al Sharpton to Newark Mayor Cory Booker. more
Obama Delivers Speech Marking 50th Anniversary March on Washington Live was originally published on wzakcleveland.com
