On Wednesday August 28th, 1963 an upwards of 300,000 people from all over the nation gathered in Washington, DC in an effort to end racial and job inequality. It was on that day Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his now famous “I Have A Dream” speech. In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of that historic event, thousands gathered to do the same this past Saturday.
Speakers included Rev. Al Sharpton, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Newark Mayor Cory Booker and several others who placed a primary focus on race. Although it was acknowledged that race relations have greatly improved, it was emphasized that there was still much work to be done. In speaking about his father, Martin Luther King III said “I know that Daddy is smiling up above knowing that your presence here today will assure the fulfillment of his dream.” Recurrent topics throughout the day were the Trayvon Martin case and the Supreme Court’s decision to repeal the Voting Rights act of 1965 among other things.
One attendee of the day’s events,photographer Joshua McFadden (featured in a Lessons From Happy Hour spotlight article) said:
This is a big moment in history, I was glad to be apart of it. We have made so much progress over the years, yet we have so much more work to do. We must continue to fight for our rights and equality for all. Today was a very emotional day. We shall never forget the price that was paid for us.”
He also captured a series of amazing and powerful images that truly demonstrate the essence of what everyone who participated was there to accomplish. Take a look at Joshua’s photographs below:
It is truly beautiful to see how far we have come as a nation but we cannot deny the fact that we still have a great deal to accomplish. Still, we are certainly taking steps in the right direction and such examples of unity show that we are on track to seeing that “The Dream” is actualized.
How do you feel about the progress that we have made as nation?
Image Credit: Joshua McFadden
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-Jordan
