Transcripts For CSPAN National Action Networks Get Your Knee Off Our Necks Rally And March 20240712

Prior to being elected to congress, she served on the bostons city council for eight years and was the first woman of color elected to the council in its 100 year history. Please welcome congresswoman ayanna pressley. E] rep. Ressley today, i am thinking of the ancestors, not just the ones recorded in our history books, but those omitted from the pages. The freedom riders, the organizers, the community builders. Every loved one passed a brownbag lunch. Lunch, read a freedom song, set up a prayer. Sacrifice and selfdetermination shaped history and brought us to this moment. The truth of the matter is we are because of them. We are black with a capital b. We are the manifestation of the movement. We are and cultural proud blacks. If my granddaddy the reverend e. James echols were here, he would whisper in my ear and say baby, make it play. I intend to do just that, make it play area we are in unprecedented and uncertain times. We are challenged by the state of the nation and the crisis we face, but the state of our movement is strong. Another world is possible. It is possible to legislate justice and accountability. People over profit, joy over trauma fear. It is possible to write budgets that lives. If it feels unfamiliar, that is because it has never been done in america. We w moment. We will work towards a feeling justice and collective liberation like our lives depend onhey do. We will march on, clear in our conviction, rooted in our faith grounded in our history intentional as we build. Let me make it play. Black lives matter. [applause] our next speaker is representative adriano espaillat. He probably represents new yorks 13th Congressional District elected in 2016. He is serving his second term in congress where he served as a member of the influential House Foreign Affairs committee, the committee on infrastructure, and the Small Businesses committee. Throughout his career the congressman has been a vocal advocate for protecting tenants improving schools and making serious Smart Investments in economic development, job creation environmental protection. He served as a new york state senator during which he represented the neighborhoods of marble hills inwood, Washington Heights, hamilton heights, west harlem, hells kitchen, clinton and jesse. Welcome adriano espaillat. [applause] good morning, everybody. Thank you, reverend al sharpton. Thank you, National Action network. Thank you all, for being here on this great mall. I bring you greetings from harlem, the capital of the african day as for African Diaspora in the world. The launching pad of the latino experience in new york state immigrant Washington Heights hamilton heights, it would and workingclass northwest bronx. 50 years ago the great Martin Luther king jr. And john lewis stood here and shared their dreams with all of you. Today as the first formally undocumented member of congress i stand here with you today to say that yes i am a man. Yes, we shall overcome. Yes, si se puede. Guess, black lives matter, and without justice, there will be no peace. We come here today bearing the scars and wounds of 400 years of struggle to say that whether your ancestors picked cotton or whether they cut sugarcane, we are all in the same boat right now. We legislation to ensure that there is police reform. We pieces of legislation highlighted in the rl harlem manifesto included in the George Floyd Justice in policing act. Lets get rid of the chokehold. Lets get rid of disease. We also must pass the john lewis voters rights advancement act to make sure we are all able to vote. We must enact criminal justice reform. Lets do away with the death penalty. Lets do away with sanitary confinement solitary confinement. Lets do away with minimums. We shall overcome. Si se puede. No justice, no peace, and black lives matter. God bless you, and keep the faith. [applause] representative charles booker, a 36yearold state legislator born in kentucky. He successfully ran for state house in kentucky in 2018, becoming the youngest africanamerican in the house in more than 90 years were he felt fought for common sense reform, Border Protection and restoration in support of labor unions for Economic Justice against Racial Injustice and more. He reprinted recently founded put to the hauler, a 501 c four that captured the energy work on power, work on foot or registration and more and to help transform our future. Please welcome representative charles booker. [applause and cheers] we stand here and the legacy of the dream. The dream that dr. King lifted up, that Whitney Young push for that mary jones fought for, that my granddad demanded. We are here today because we know that dream is not d. Although they marched for us then the cries we are hearing across the country right now from kenosha to kentucky, from the hood where i am from to the island, to everywhere in between, those cries let us know we have more marching to do. It is in this moment where we must rise up together. Because listen, we are built for this moment. We are on the shoulders of giants, but we must step off of those and lead ourselves. We are the dream, but we must turn that dream into demand, demands for real justice. Demand for humanity. Demand for an end to poverty. The youngest black state legislator in the first one, i did stand up to run against Mitch Mcconnell, and i am a personal witness that we are ready for this moment. We are built for the work we must do. And if we come together, all of us, if we stand united, if we march together, if we bend that arch together, theres nothere is no mountain we cant move, and there is no roof of racism we cannot pull up. So we got to do it right now. We got to do it yesterday so we definitely got to do it now. I stand here as a young man in the legacy of a giant, congressman john lewis, who said 57 years ago some words that ring true now. We have to lift our voices together and say to america, wake up. Wake up, america. Because we cant stop, we cant quit, and we cannot be patient. Lets win together, lets fight together. Lets transform our future. [chanting no justice, no peace] ebonie next we have the National Director of youth and College Engagement and is a policy advisor for the National Action network. [applause and cheers] a recent graduate of North Carolina anc state university. He is a proud member of phi beta sigma, the eta chapter, and hopes to one day serve as a legislator on the hill. Please welcome him. [applause] i give honor to the conveners, my mentor rev. Al sharpton, and Martin Luther king iii. I also want to recognize the Young Leaders standing behind me. [applause and cheers] we find ourselves here in the spirit of john lewis, making good trouble, necessary trouble, because the soul of our democracy is depending on it. We are not here to ask for justice. We are not here to negotiate justice. We are here to demand justice. [applause and cheers] far too many times we have been been budgeted out, counted out, resourced out. It is time to invest in education. It is time for legislators to invest in Mental Health services. It is time to invest in community. Storically black colleges and universities. [applause and cheers] because we deserve. We dont deserve just a half a dollar. We deserve the whole dollar. We deserve the whole dollar. [applause] dr. King talked about the checks that bounced in the bank of justice. We have come to let the teller know at the bank that this check better nbecause we will march, and we will fight, because that is what we deserve. In the words of dr. King in closing, and again its time to , cash the check to demand the riches of freedom, and security and justice. , no justice. No peace. [applause] [chanting no justice, noace] [chanting black lives matter] i hear you back there. No justice. No peace. No justice. No peace. Next up, our speaker, as someone who has experienced the promise of the american dream, she has devoted her career in Public Service to opening the doors of that dream to millions of american families. As a key figure in the latino community, she continues this mission as president and ceo in unite us u. S. , and Advocacy Organization in the u. S. Welcome her to the stage. [applause] hello. Hola. Hello. My name is janet, i am president and ceo of unidos u. S. , the largest latino civil rights and Advocacy Organization in the country. I want to tell you why i am here. I am here because we have stood and always will stand with reverend sharpton and Martin Luther king iii, and our brothers and sisters in the black community until systemic and institutional racism in our society is era i am here because 25 of my community is afrolatino. So we dont just empathize, we identify with the black community. I am here because we need lawenforcement to get their knees off the next of our black and latinx young men. I am her seen in kenosha, wisconsin this week, a man shot in the back and paralyzed, Peaceful Protesters shot and killed by White Nationalist vigilantes as the police have turned a blind eye and silence from the man who holds the highest office in the land. That is immoral and unacceptable. I am here because our community ies communities are bearing the brunt of a pandemic in lives and livelihoods which is only getting worse. Ave in common what we have in common is far greater than what divides us. As dr. Martin luther king, jr. Wrote to cesar chavez in 1966, our separate struggles are really one, a struggle for freedom, for dignity, and humanity. I am here because we must support the young people of every background here as they rise up, make their voices heard, and tell those of their generation about the america that they want to see. Because we must reject bigotry and hate, and insist that our and the values that we share. I am here because i am standing on the shoulders of giants, like congressman john lewis, to say your fight is my fight, tu lucha es mi lucha. I am here because black lives matter. [applause] si se puede muchas gracias [chanting black lives matter] ebonie up next we have reverend dr. Richardson, who serves on the board of several corporations and National Organizations and is currently chairman of the board for the National Action network. Reverend richardson is pastor of the Historic Grace Baptist Church in mount vernon, new york. He leads the largest africanamerican church in Westchester County with a base of over 3000 parishioners. Despite the interaction with u. S. President s and heads of state, he has made sure to use the power of the pulpit to lift up local issues in the mount vernon area and nationwide. Dr. Richardson believes that grace must be at the vanguard of liberation and the empowerment of africanamerican people through our christian faith. Please welcome reverend dr. Franklin richardson. [applause] noon. Lets give ourselves a celebration. Lookut in the midst of a pandemic. In the midst of all that is going on. This is important to us. We lay ourselves on the line because this is important. On behalf of the members of the board of National Action network, i want to thank all of the organizations who have collaborated with us to bring this to pass. R president , rev. Al sharpton, and Martin Luther king iii, having convened us together. The speeches and the rhetoric of the moment will be meaningless if we do not leave here and get involved and fight the fight and vote and encourage those who are not. We are at a crossroads in american history. We are at the intersection of perish or promise. If we fail to deliver in november, we will perish. If we fail to bring out our votes, we will not enjoy what we have struggled from. We are at a moment when all we have fought for, all our forefathers and mothers have died for is at risk of being lost. Blood has been shed for our freedoms and we cannot parish. We must stand up. We must fight. We must engage every resource we have. We still believe in americas promise, not only while we are on the precipice of perishing, but also realizing the promise. The promise is a nation where yellow, red, male, female, lgbt, every dimension of our humanity is in the promise of the great america. I challenge us all to believe in a better day, to make the sacrifices, to make sure we go back to our cities and knock on doors and call our friends. Because this will be a sham if we fail to bring out the votes on november 3. This will be mockery if we do not deliver ourselves to the polls. This will be a disgrace if we fail to engage our resources to deliver on our behalf and our forefathers and mothers will turn over in their graves if we fail to deliver in this moment. God bless you. Lets go. Lets get this done. We are able. We are powerful. Use the code thats on the screen that talks about the black church. 75 votes. All of us must be engaged. God bless you, and i look to see you in the near future at the victory celebration. God bless you. [applause] [crowd chanting hands up, dont shoo ebonie please welcome maya berry. Maya you guys look amazing. Rev. Al sharpton, Martin Luther king iii, thank you for your leadership area to the National Action network, thank you for convening us today. To the families who lost loved ones to racist violence, i am so sorry for the pain you have been forced to endure. I am humbled to stand and march alongside of you today and every day. My name is maya berry, the executive director of the arab american institute. On behalf of 3. 7 million arab americans, i stand with you in defense of black lives. We do so because it is right and regrettably because it is necessary to declare that black lives matter. We do so because we understand that until the killing of black men, women, and children stop, until systematic racism and antiblackness is addressed, the america we all desire cannot be realized. For each life taken, each family destroyed, each neighborhood brutally patrolled, and for each protester taking to the streets to demand that all of this stop, targeted by the same system of policing, justice will not be served by reforming tactics or trainings. Here is a simple truth. Its been 168 days since Breonna Taylor was killed in her own home. No charges have been filed. The system is not broken. It is working as it was designed. And we must change it. Today we must recommit to defend black lives, to End Police Brutality and the racist system that upholds it. We must fight Voter Suppression and the impact of a politicized decennial census like we have never seen. Just as the 1953 march and the mess demonstrations across the country the mass demonstrations across the country suffers act, we must not step off until we have secured the passage of the john lewis Voting Rights act, and the George Floyd Justice in policing act. Just as matter is the minimum these legislative priorities must be where we start. Thank you. [applause] ebonie please welcome to the stage dr. Jamal bryant visionary Civil Rights Activist and community organizer. He combines sound biblical teachings, business acumen, and political insight to propel the body of christ to action and greater levels of faith. His abilities toeach across social, economic, and political barriers has helped people not only experience the lifechanging gospel of jesus christ, but to activate success in their everyday lives. His ministry has become an incubator for entrepreneurs, homeowners, and he is a pastor in georgia. Please welcome dr. Jamal bryant. [applause] dr. Bryant to our organizer and visionary, rev. Al sharpton, we thank him for his courage and his faith as well as his commitment to civil rights down through the years. Brothers and sisters, not sinced Julius Brutus led 59 caesar in the back has there been such a crime as the slaying of jacob blake. Seven times they shot him in the back. Jacob finds himself paralyzed from the waist down. Dr. King said we as a people should not find ourselves caught in the paralysis of analysis. In other words, are coming our coming together is in vain if we just talk about the problems but dont chart a course towards the solution. Harriet tubman said, i freed thousands of slaves, but i would have freed hundreds more had they known they were slaves. I only thought about that when i saw the slaves on tv this week endorsing donald trump. [cheers] if only they knew they were slaves, they could have been rendered free. We cannot remain paralyzed. We cannot be paralyzed wondering whether or not we are going to support the very first black female Vice President in the United States. Dont tell me about what it is she did in the past and not talk about what she wants to do in america in the future. She wants to make sure we get rid of privatized prisons. That there are no more mandatory minimums. And marijuana is no longer an illegal substance. We cannot be paralyzed knowing she graduated just a few miles from here, from the original h. U. Those of us who are products of hbcus, you ought to be making noise right now. [cheers] we cannot be paralyzed. We cannot allow white evangelicals to paralyze us. Saying that they cannot support our agenda because they are prolife. Dont tell me you are prolife and white evangelicals are silent when black people are dying in the streets like dogs. We cannot be paralyzed. The black church. Saying that you are not going to because of three fearless black sisters who happen to be lesbian. Weve got to love our lgbtq community, realizing those are our sons and daughters. We cannot be paralyzed. We cannot be paralyzed in to believing the water is colder. This is a time where weve got to support black businesses because too many of them are closing down because of covid1619. Not because they dont have adequate service, but because they dont have adequate support. What america has to know about the tenacity of black people is that even when you render us paralyzed, we still know how to crawl. And on november 3, no matter what you do, we will crawl to the polls. If you take away the mailbox, we still going to crawl. You take away the polling stations away from our community, we are still going to crawl. Were going to sing the original gangsta rap music before i be a slave, i be buried in my grave. We still going to crawl there is something about us that understands that we stand today with our brother jacob realizing that even if we find ourselves paralyzed and you force us to crawl, we are like butterflies. Because butterflies only have two options. They crawl and then they fly. We understand in this hour, this is the hour for black people to fly. Maya angelou said, you can write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies, but still, we rise, we rise, we rise. If you dont know maya angelou, the least you could do is know the migos. Like people from here, weve got to walk it like we talk it. Weve got to keep moving until our generation takes the baton changes the country, and makes America Great for the very first time. Black people, rise up and accomplish what you will. [applause] ebony all right. I was told we have a big group of mothers from georgia. Are you in the house . Georgia came. All right. Next up, please welcome congresswoman Sheila Jackson lee. She is serving her 13th term as a member of the United States house of representatives. She serves the 18th Congressional District of texas, centered in houston. The Energy Capital of the world and sits on three congressional committees. The house committee, the judiciary and Homeland Security committee, and the budget committee. She is the author of the Emancipation National historic trail study act and the lead sponsor for hr 40, to commission to study and develop reparation proposals for africanamericans. Please welcome congresswoman Sheila Jackson lee. [cheers and applause] rep. Jacksonlee i am a black mother who happens to be a congresswoman. I am a black mother who happens to understand that black lives do matter, every single day of my life. Standing on these historic steps, grabbing onto the history of what the Lincoln Monument means to all of us who have a birthright in this nation to be able to live in dignity, i understand the words of dr. Martin luther king, who said that the negro people have been given a bad check. Today we stop the insufficient funds and put mo because weve got to heal this nation. So i say to you why we cant wait. Why we cant wait when those assigned to protect and serve are able to grab the tshirt of a black man named jacob and point a gun in his black skin and shoot seven times. Why we cant wait. Why we cant wait when those assigned to protect and serve can take big floyd, put a knee on his neck and say, i cant breathe. Then we know that we have to change this nation when we have Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, eric garner Michael Brown, and many others. Today we come to acknowledge that we ask america not to fear us. We ask you not to send tweets that we are attacking you as a mob, because the militia walks around freely and shoots us without anyones concern. So we are standing here today to say why we cant wait. We want an america that will stomp out the divisiveness, the intimidation, and the threats. We want a white house that stands as a healer in chief, that understands black mothers pain and understands your pain. Of course, we want to make sure that as we do this, we know that hr 40 is intertwined with the bill i helped write, which is the bill of George Floyd Justice in policing act. Here we are today, asking the question, how did this happen . Because of institutional racism. I am here to tell you that we must have a commission to study and develop reparation proposals. We must answer the call of institutional racism. We have got to make sure that the social, economic psychological, scientific, and educational government sanctioned institutional racism stops right now. And as i told a 12yearold, as i walked and told Martin Luther kings third daughter, now, today, this attack on us as people of color who died on the battles of warfare, who have died on the streets for civil rights, it will stop today. Thank you, reverend sharpton for understanding the importance of the congress with over 150 cosponsors in the house passing hr 40. We will heal the nation, but we will not stop until the nation knows black lives matter, and reparations are passed as the most significant civil rights legislation of the 21st century. Now is the time. Why we cant wait. [applause] reparations now lets hear it for congresswoman Sheila Jackson lee. Reparations now our next speaker, from ohio, is a powerhouse who stands with the people, serving as vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and firstever chair of the diversity and inclusion subcommittee. A soughtafter public speaker and previously recognized as one of ebony magazines 150 most powerful African Americans in the United States. She has written 93 pieces of legislation and cosponsored over 1600 bills. She is calling on congress to recognize racism as a national crisis. And we have a delta up here. Delta sigma theta. A lot of akas. Any deltas here . [cheers] she is also a member of the link. Please welcome congresswoman joyce beatty. Rep. Beatty thank you, thank you. I am joined by members of the Congressional Black Caucus. We are here today because people died and were denied civil and economic rights. We are here today because 57 years ago, people marched for jobs and freedom and stood here with members of congress and Martin Luther king. We are here today because george floyd had a knee on his neck. Eight minutes, 46 seconds. Black lives matter. We are here, and i stand representing the Congressional Black Caucus, 54 members strong, who understand silence is not an option. Because black people face a symbolic chokehold every time we walk, speak up, shop, jog, drive, and, yes, breathe. We must tear down the walls of injustice. I am standing here and saying as Martin Luther king jr. Said, in america, a riot is the language of unheard people. And what is it that america has failed to hear . Promises and freedom and justice for all. Say their names. Ahmaud, breonna, george, jacob and the list goes on. Black lives matter. Let us pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act. No more immunity for officers who looked boldly into cell phone cameras as they kill our brothers and sisters. Mandatory databases. Tamir rice would have lived to see his 18th birthday. A ban on chokeholds and noknock warrants. Eric garner and Breonna Taylor would still be alive today. We are pushing to recognize racism as a national crisis. We are fighting for jobs housing relief, access to capital, and a reparations bill. Know it was the brothers of the Congressional Black Caucus that wrote the first step act. Know that it is a black man in leadership that leads the john lewis Voting Rights legislation. Demand, demand, demand the senate pass the john lewis Voting Rights act that restores justice, dignity, and equal access to the ballot box. I say to you, stand with us and stand with the rev. Al sharpton for this march, and demanding we get people registered to vote and that we vote, we complete our census. Say it with me, go vote. Go vote go vote go vote and let me say, tell them to get their knees off of our necks. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am congresswoman joyce beatty, and i approve this message. [applause] thank you. Thank you to congresswoman beatty. As we said before, going back to 1963, organized labor has been a part of this. Here is the president of the 1. 7 millionmember American Federation of teachers, aflcio, which represents teachers, paraprofessionals, schoolrelated personnel faculty and staff, nurses, and other health care professionals. Local state and federal government employees, and Early Childhood educators. Please welcome the president of the American Federation of teachers, randi weingarten. She will be joined by edward kelly of the federation of government employees, and our brother ken of the International Union of painters and trade. Organized labor, yall. Give them a round of applause. [applause] good evening, brothers and sisters. I want to thank rev. Al sharpton, Martin Luther king iii for convening this march. I am here today to represent 700,000 men and women making up afge. The American Federation of government employees. It is an honor to be here. We are a diverse union. We are from all across the country, all ages, all abilities. We provide every single type of service to the american public. What unites us . Well what brings us together is one big labor union. We believe in fairness. We believe in due process. We believe that every american deserves a good job and every american deserves decent pay and full benefits. Every Single Person deserves that. Afg believes in universal health care. We believe in universal housing, universal education, universal and equal justice under the law, we believe in the v. A. System, social security, and all of the programs that make people live better. We believe the government should be a force for good, that the government should protect us and not scare us, not suppress us. We are here today to let you know that we will stand with you. Can we do this together . To let you know that we will stand with you. Can we do this together . Can we do this together . If we can do this together, we hear you say together. I used to hear my grandmother say that i dont feel no ways tired. I didnt understand then, but i understand it now. Im ready to march, im ready to move, im ready to make a difference. Lets change this country. Thank you. [applause] iupat is in the house . Where are you at . Somebody say something. I am ken. We are a building trade union. You may think it is unusual for us to be here. But with me, growing up with a father, with a the mother who looked like me, black lives matter, dont they . Black lives matter. Black lives matter. I stand on the shoulders of my father and all black tradesmen who fought for better wages and conditions. Without their fight, i wouldnt be here today. Recently we celebrated the 100th anniversary of iupat local 1332. You might not think much of that. That is one of our unions that was a traditional africanamerican union would formed over 100 years ago because they could not be in the regular union. 100 years later, still up and fighting as a part of our organization. This is an opportunity for us, because what i see in the street, i dont just see people who look like me. I see america. This is our opportunity to go forward and grow, and half the to have the country that has the vision that we have. All lives matter, but black lives matter on top. Black lives matter first. Somebody say it. It is easy. Black lives matter. Seven bullets in a mans back at point blank range. A knee pressed into a mans for neck for eight minutes. How much pain must black people endure . When will justice prevail . When is enough enough . There is pain in this country. In louisiana and texas. In california, in the midst of racing fires. Across the country, donald trump with 180,000 people dead from covid. And in so many families hearts over the shooting of jacob blake. There is pain. Reverend sharpton, how many times over how many decades have i and my union joined in this journey for justice . The 1963 march started as a labor march for jobs and justice. A Philip Randolph invited Martin Luther king jr. To speak that day and king said, we have come to dramatize a shameful condition. That shameful condition, prejudice, discrimination, economic inequality, has not been cured. It has metastasized. Voter suppression, substandard housing, health care, and transportation. Insufficient wages, high unemployment, discriminatory policing, mass incarceration. Black americans dying from higher rates of asthma or covid have been struggling to breathe long before eric garner and george floyd were suffocated at the hands of authorities. Justice and freedom must apply to all. The fight for opportunity and freedom must be all of our fights. And those of us who are white, we need to be real allies, real listeners, and real supporters. My synagogues credo is the psalm. The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. There is room for all of us, but we must call out those who cling tightly to their privilege that is an oppressive tool against equality. My friends, my colleagues, november 3rd is coming. We need to get in good trouble. We need to vote. We need to have hope. We need a president who will sign the bills the house has passed to make this country more fair, more just, more equal. That is our job. This day and every day. Thank you. [applause] i also, as you all know, need to recognize the Postal Workers Union. Thank you, thank you, thank you. All right. Lets hear it for organized labor. No time for them to speak, but the Postal Workers Union is in the house. Our next speaker served as assistant attorney general for civil rights, secretary of labor, and today he is the chair of the Democratic National committee. Our friend and brother, please welcome tom perez. [applause] mr. Perez good afternoon. Thank you reverend sharpton for your extraordinary leadership. Thank you to the National Action network. I live in maryland. We lost a remarkable person last year when my mentor, elijah cummings, passed away. Before he passed away he reminded us all of our civic duty. He said, when we are dancing with the angels the question will be asked, what did we do to make sure we kept our democracy intact . Did we stand on the sidelines and say nothing . Or did we fight back . Did we fight back for justice . Did we fight back for equality . Did we fight back for black lives . By being here today, you are answering all of those questions with a resounding yes. We are all fighting back, our fight cannot end here. Just as we march to the small, we must march to congress, to the United States senate in particular, to demand passage of the john lewis Voting Rights advancement act and the George Floyd Justice in policing act. Just as we marched this small, we must march to the ballot boxes or the mailbox to demand the leadership we deserve. We must exercise the right that protects all others, the right to vote. As you know, our nation is hurting right now. Our africanamerican communities are hurting. We are hurting from a pandemic that has taken 180,000 lives. Hurting from an economic crisis that has cost millions of jobs. From a Climate Emergency that threatens the air we breathe and the water we drink. Hurting from an epidemic of violence and racism. We are hurting from a knee on the neck, a bullet in the back. Hurting from leadership that treats them like their lives dont matter. President lincoln, you would not recognize todays republican party. Our africanamerican brothers and sisters are not alone. Dr. King spoke of the Inescapable Network of mutuality. In this moment of crisis, so Many Americans are bound together in the struggle for justice, dignity, and opportunity, from the native american tribes confronting the scourge of covid and delay of their funding, to children being separated from their parents at the border, to Asian Americans facing hatefueled attacks, to working families struggling with poverty, we can change all of this with the leadership. We can heal wounds. We can turn hardship into hope despair into dream. We can advance racial quality and restore the soul of our nation. But only if we do it together. Movements are built by the many, not the few. They are built by the unglamorous work of grassroots organizing. They are built in the words of julian bond, by the marchers whose feet have grown tired, whose voices have gone horse whose shirts have been stained with sweat and blood. John lewis left us with these marching orders. Go to iwillvote. Com. Check your registration status. Tell your family and neighbors to make a plan to vote. 3 is the last day to vote but it is not the first day to vote. Make a plan. Get out there, do not let your voice go unheard. Do not let your voice go uncounted. This is the most important election of our lifetime make no mistake, you have the power to decide the outcome. Thank you very much. Today we commemorate the 57th anniversary of the historic march on washington for jobs and freedom. I was born into an activist family with my parents, aunts, and uncles pushing me in a stroller, marching for justice in the years following the march on washington. This moment is a reminder that we must always honor the sacrifice of the leaders who made that march happen. From the names we know like randolph and farmer, young and king, to everyone who worked behind the scenes and sacrificed quietly, but profoundly, far from the lights of history. I have to believe that if they were with us today, they would share in our anger and frustration as we continue to see black men and women slain in our streets and left behind by an economy and Justice System that have too often denied like black folks our dignity and rights. They would share our anger and pain, but no doubt it would turn it into fuel. They would be lacing up their shoes, locking arms, and continuing alongside us to continue in this ongoing fight for justice. Thankfully, we dont have to wonder if we are making them proud, because a giant from that march and the Civil Rights Era of that day, john lewis, he lived to tell us how we are doing. In his parting essay, he wrote to all of us who hope to carry his legacy, in the last days and hours of my life, you have inspired me. You filled me with hope about the next chapter of the Great American story when you used your power to make a difference in our society. For congressman lewis, the brutal murder of emmett till is what shook loose the activist inside of him. It was the start of a lifelong journey toward service and driving change. The same journey that countless Young Leaders are building upon as we speak. As john put it, emmett till was my george floyd. He was my rayshard brooks. Sandra bland. The road ahead, it is not going to be easy. If we Work Together to challenge every instinct our nation has to return to the status quo and combine the wisdom of longtime warriors for justice with the Creative Energy of the Young Leaders today, we have an opportunity to make history, right here and right now. So, thank you so much for inviting me to celebrate with you. Lets march on in the name of our ancestors and in the name of our children and grandchildren. Thank you. [applause] lets hear it for senator kamala harris. Our next speaker is one of the legacy original organizations that was here in 1963. Please welcome the former mayor of new orleans, the president and ceo of the National Urban league, mark morel. Black lives matter. I want to thank rev. Al sharpton and the National Action network, my friend and brothers, as well as Martin Luther king iii for assembling us here on august 28 in the year 2020. In 1963 courageous men and women descended on this site, led by six legacy civil rights organizations, including the National Urban league. At that time the league was led by one of the Great Americans of the 20th century, Whitney Young junior. He stated from this very place at that time and on that day, on august 28, 1963, that our civil rights rights to Human Dignity were not negotiable. We have come back on august 28 in the year 2020 in this 21st century to say today, our fight for Racial Justice is not negotiable. We are here today to say that transforming our criminal Justice System and purging it of mass incarceration and systemic racism is not negotiable. Protecting our right to vote from suppressors whether legislators, whether a president , be they russians it is not negotiable. Defending our right to a living wage so that every american can live in dignity is not negotiable. That dislodging Structural Racism that infects every institution in American Life is not negotiable. That equitably funding all of our schools so all of our children can learn and provide them with computers and broadband connectivity, and they can live and thrive with their godgiven talent, is not negotiable. That a fair and accurate census, so that all of us are counted in accordance with the constitution, is not, in 2020, negotiable. That eliminating the structural and shameful disparate impacts of covid19 in 2020 is not negotiable. That reforming police, both Police Policies and Police Culture and reallocating funding to summer jobs for youth, to Mental Health services, to homeless services, and to end the violence against our black men, is not negotiable. Hands up. I cant breathe. Hands up. Dont shoot. In 1963 when they gathered on the site, just a few weeks before they gathered, that great civil rights leader medgar evers was assassinated. On the front lawn of his home in jackson mississippi. At that time, they were fighting a poll tax, a literacy test that did Everything Possible to prevent us from voting. In 2020 we come here, when the very success of 1963, the Voting Rights act, has been gutted by the supreme court. We come in 2020, when jacob blake, and george floyd, and eric garner, and tamir rice, and Trayvon Martin, and sandra bland, and too many black men and women Breonna Taylor have died or been disabled at the hands of the police. We are here to make some demands. Number one. We want the George Floyd Justice in policing act to pass now, not tomorrow, not next week, not next year. Say it. Pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act. Number two. Number two, we want to pass the heroes act. Number three, we want to pass the john lewis Voting Rights advancement act. Number four, we want to pass hr 40 to look at reparations in this country. We will vote. Lets hear it for our brother marc muriel. All right. Here to introduce the man who is the namesake of the person who spoke here on august 28, 1963 and introduce Martin Luther king iii is none other than the congressman representing the ninth Congressional District of texas, congressman al green. [applause] rep. Green thank you, everyone. It is now my honor to introduce a man whose name is synonymous with the civil rights, human rights movement. A man whose father stood here 57 years ago. A man who followed his fathers footsteps and i was there with him to india, where he traced the steps of gandhi. A man who understands this is a fulltime job. He is not up parttime freedom fighter. He is an all the time freedom fighter. I am here to introduce a man who is a morehouse graduate. A man who knows what it feels like to suffer the pains associated with the human rights movement. When he lost his father at the age of 10, he could have given up, but he didnt. He stayed in and he has fought the good fight. I am here to introduce the honorable Martin Luther king iii. Would you show him some love please . If you believe in liberty and justice for all, stand up and show us love. Show martin some love. Show his father some love. His wife some love. His daughter some love. God bless you. God bless the king family. [applause] mr. King good afternoon. I am so honored to be here. Before i say something, i want you to hear from the future of our nation. The only granddaughter of Martin Luther king jr. And Coretta Scott king, my daughter and andreas daughter, Yolanda Renee king. [applause] some of you may remember that two years at the march for our lives i said, spread the word. Have you heard . All across the nation. We are going to be a great generation. [applause] that was in 2018. I didnt know what would hit us in 2020. A pandemic that shut our schools. More killings of unarmed black people by police. Attacks on our right to vote. The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression that we learned about in school. And, more extreme weather than ever before. But great challenges produce great leaders. We have mastered the selfie and tiktok. Now we must master ourselves. [applause] less than a year before he was assassinated, my grandfather predicted this very moment. He said that we were moving into a new phase of the struggle. The first face was civil rights and the new phase is genuine equality. [applause] genuine equality is why we are here today and why people are coming together all across the world, from new zealand to new jersey. He said we must not forget the days of montgomery, we must not forget the movement, we must not forget the freedom rides birmingham movement, and selma. Papa king, we wont. [applause] my generation has already taken to the streets peacefully and with masks and socially distant to protest racism. I want to ask the young people here to join me in pledging that we have only just begun to fight and that we will be the generation that moves from me to we. We will be the generation that dismantles systemic racism. We are going to be the generation that calls a halt to Police Brutality and gun violence. We are going to be the generation that reverses Climate Change and saves our planet. And we are going to be generation that ends poverty here in america. The wealthiest nation on earth. Once and for all, now and forever. [applause] we are the grandchildren of our ancestors. We march for love and we will fulfill my grandfathers dreams. So, show me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like. Show me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like. Show me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like. One more time. Show me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like. Ok, lets show them. [applause] mr. King a proud dad. Let me thank god that we have been able to assemble today. And thank reverend sharpton and the National Action network and all of the conveners that are here today. And most of all, these families that have been impacted by police and misconduct. We have come to bear witness, to remain awake, to remember from where we have come and carefully consider where we are going. Whether you are here in person online, or watching on msnbc and other networks, thank you for joining us for this march on washington. Together we are taking a stand and we are taking a giant step forward. Let me also thank al green for the very warm introduction, my dear friend. We are taking a step forward on americas rocky but righteous journey toward justice. August 28 is a day to remember the triumphs and tragedies that have taken place in our historic struggle for Racial Justice. Today we commemorate the march on washington, to jobs and freedom in 1963 where my father declared his dream. But we must never forget the american nightmare of racist violence, exemplified when emmett till was murdered on this day in 1955 and the criminal Justice System failed to convict his killers. 65 years later we still struggle for justice. Demilitarizing the police dismantling mass incarceration and declaring as we can that black lives matter. In our struggle for justice, there are no permanent victories. On this day, 12 years ago, i was honored to address the Democratic National convention in denver. And on that night, in that evening in the mile high city, our spirits were soaring as the democrats nominated barack obama, who would go on to become the first africanamerican president of these United States. But the progress celebrated then is imperiled yet again. And now we must march to the ballot boxes and the mailboxes to defend the freedoms that earlier generations worked so hard to win. In so many ways, we stand together today in the symbolic shadow of history, but we are making history together right now. We are marching with the largest and most active of multigenerational, Multiracial Movement for civil rights since the 1960s. From High School Students to Senior Citizens im a black as well as white, latino, Asian Americans, native americans, pacific islanders, americans are marching together, many for the first time, and we are demanding real, lasting, structural change. We are marching together for timehonored goals and in timely ways. We are courageous, conscious of our health. We are socially distant, but spiritually united. We are masking our faces, but not our faith and freedom. We are taking our struggle to the streets and social media. The nation has never seen such a mighty movement, a modernday incarnation of what my father called the coalition of conscience. If we move forward with passion, we will complete the work so boldly began in the 1960s. We are marching to overcome what my father called the triple evils of poverty, racism, and violence. Today those evils have exacerbated four major challenges that currently face our country. First, covid19. Tragically it has killed more than 175,000 americans. Disproportionately africanamerican, latino, and low income people of every background. Second, more than 30 million americans are unemployed disproportionately people of color. Covid19 has laid bare the structural inequalities in our economy that cap too many people trapped in poverty. Third, Police Brutality and gun violence are killing so many unarmed africanamericans. Today we march with their families and we say their names. George floyd, botham jean, Breonna Taylor, eric garner, Michael Brown, tamir rice, Terence Crutcher, Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, elijah mcclain, and so many others. Fourth, our Voting Rights are under attack. We must vigorously defend our right to vote. Those rights were paid for by the blood of those lynched for seeking to exercise their constitutional rights. They were paid for by the blood of civil rights workers such as sammy young junior, goodman, and cheney, viola, james reeve those were paid for through the sacrifices made by heroes such as williams and john lewis. Since the United States senate has failed to an Voting Rights act, we have had to overcome new tactics to suppress our votes. Discriminatory voter id requirements, cutbacks in early voting, voter purges targeting those who have missed elections, and disenfranchising those who have served their time and paid their debt to society. Now covid19 is making its dangerous, even deadly, to stand in line in polling places. We shouldnt have to risk our lives to cast our vote. We need to be able to do what President Trump does vote safely, by mail. But now we are struggling to overcome the dismantling of the u. S. Postal service for the express purpose of suppressing our vote. With all of these stress to lives and liberty, our challenge is to use this moment to expand this movement. A movement that not only raises its voice, but cast its votes, pursues its vision, and makes lasting change. The scripture says, where there is no vision, the people perish. Our vision is expressed by a phrase we must never forget. That is, the beloved community. With those words, my father, john lewis, rosa parks, and so many other historic men and women of vision in america whose dramatic practice is as good as its promise, in america where the triple evils will be replaced by peace, justice, and shared abundance. And where hate and fear give way to health and love. We need to raise our voices and cast our votes over the weeks ahead, culminating on election day. We need to vote as if our lives and our livelihoods, our liberties, depend on. Because they do. No person, no people are more keenly aware of the risks of disenfranchisement than those who suffered from it. There is a knee upon the neck of democracy and our nation can only live so long without the oxygen of freedom. The streets must be exercised by more than rhetoric and more than marching. The simple challenge before us is that everyone can cast a ballot and everyone who can, must cast a ballot. That ballot must be counted and the result must be transparent and known to the whole world. Today i can call on everyone with the means to drive people to the polls. To make a plan for yourself, for your family and neighbor, for those organizations and companies that care about democracy, i call on you to offer your resources and capacity to make sure every ballot is counted. If our forefathers were willing to die for the right to vote, we can work for the right to vote. I will continue to call on you to act in the coming days. My father was assassinated in memphis, tennessee while standing in solidarity with poor working people, sanitation workers whose slogan was a statement that they were human beings. They were asking for safe working conditions, for a living wage, for recognition of their union. They summed up their struggle with those four words, i am a man. That simple, but powerful slogan continues today. The struggle against Sexual Harassment and of abuse. Movements of marginalized americans are still trying to claim the dignity they have been denied. Martin luther king jr. Fought for the dignity of work and that fight is neverending. In 1963 march on washington demanded jobs and freedoms. In 1968 memphis sanitation workers and the Poor Peoples Campaign insisted that working people should not live and labor in poverty. Those fights foreshadowed our struggle today to make the minimum wage a living wage, not a poverty wage. And we are fighting alongside the front line, sanitation workers, Health Care Workers grocery workers, transport workers, food service workers, and so many more. They are praised for being essential, but treated as if they are expendable. While standing with sanitation workers, dad said, so often we overlook the significance of those who are not in professional jobs. Let me say to you tonight that whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity, it has dignity and worth. Now we have a president who confuses greatness with grandiosity. My father knew better. Everyone, he said, can be great because everyone can serve. In a famous speech he explained that Everyone Wants to be a drum major, a leader of the marching band. He challenged us into becoming drum majors for justice. While we honor our history, we must be a living movement, not a monument. If dad were here today, i am sure he would implore us not to deify him or selectively quote him when convenient. He would want us to be drum majors for justice. To champion the ideals he promoted. Racial justice, social equality, and peace. He would gently but intently challenge us not to dwell upon the past, but to labor in what he called the fierce urgency of now. If you are looking for a savior, get up and find a mirror. We must become the heroes of the history we are making. Us means all of us. In 1963, after my father spoke byron rustin asked participants to join. More than half a century later we must demand the United States senate stop blocking passage of the George Floyd Justice in policing act. And the john lewis Voting Rights restoration act. And when we conclude today lets remember that this is the commitment march in the spirit of 1963. I ask you to join me in pledging to act in three ways. First, because human rights are at stake, i ask you not only to register to vote, make sure at least one other person registers to vote. Second, i ask you to commit to service and struggle in your community. From Voter Registration to raising the minimum wage. To demilitarizing the police. Get involved with one or more of many worthwhile struggles. Third, i ask you to pledge as my father and john lewis did, to get into good trouble and do it nonviolently. Remember that in the fight against injustice, nonviolence doesnt mean passive acceptance. It means peaceful resistance. Must come together and join with the black lives matter movement, to raise our voices, and say enough is enough. We must come with the Poor Peoples Campaign, the Climate Change and Environmental Justice movement, the womens march, and me too movements. And say, enough is enough. Martin luther king jr. Famously said that the moral arc of the universe is long, but bends toward justice. He was also the first to say that doesnt bend on its own. We must do some work ourselves. In the final year of his life he wrote in his last book, where do we go from here, chaos or community . Well, in this defining moment for our history and country, we must answer dr. Kings question. Will it be chaos or community . Some choose the answer as chaos, including the current occupant in the white house. But we who believe must choose community, because if we choose community, we can avoid the dream turning into a permanent nightmare. If we choose community, 50 years from now, people will say we were able to redeem the soul of america and begin to fulfill the promise of democracy by systematically eliminating systematic racism and exploitation. My friends, if we choose community, we will be able to answer affirmative to the scripture. Here comes that dreamer, lets slay him, we shall see what will become of his dream. Finally, this afternoon, i want to say to you, not only do i come as a protester, but i come as a victim. My daddy was killed when i was 10 years old. Gunned down, you know that, by an assassins bullet. Some of you know but may not know, six years later, my daddys mother, my grandmother was gunned down in the church while praying the lords prayer. I understand what it means to lose a loved one. But i am so thankful that my grandfather and my mother and my aunts and uncles taught me about love. A refuse any person to reduce me to hatred. The man who killed my wife and son, i refuse to allow them to reduce me to hatred. I love everybody. I am everymans brother. If we are going to resolve these issues in america, we have to come together. Dad talked about it. He talked about all of them. Im only going to talk about the highest level of love. That love that seeks nothing in return. That love that is totally unselfish. You love someone if they are young. You love them if they are old. You love them if they are black. You love them if they are white. You love them if they are native american, you love them if they are hispanic or latino american, if they are african, if they are asian, you love them because you know that god calls you do that. If we are going to resolve all of these conflicts and crises in america, we have to find a way to do it in love. Thank you, and god bless you and lets keep on keeping on. [cheering and applause] hello 57th march in washington. I wish that i could be there with you today, as reverend, al sharpton, is my colleague and big brother. I arrived in new york at age 18, having left when i was two. It was an era when black lives matter meant comedy diablo it meant the central park five and the replacement of David Dinkins with giuliani. A stayaway if you are black beach. And rev. Al sharpton, who was the only one who seem to know what to do and cared enough to do it. A generation earlier, it was jesse jackson. Before him, dr. King. But for my generation, it was reverend al. Little did i know that many years later, i would get to know rev as a local producer and host on radio one. That he would become my colleague at msnbc and a great mentor, supporter, and friend. Meanwhile, the National Action network has never stopped working, even as the names have changed to Trayvon Martin Michael Brown, eric garner sandra bland, tamir rice freddie gray, george floyd Breonna Taylor, jacob blake. Ari marched with i marched with him in selma when he pulled me to the front of the line so i could be there to witness history. I watched the reverend nurture families as they cry on for justice. He has had president s confide in him. He inspired me to use my gift to make real change. He has been our backstop and defender in dark times. We know that when we call him he will be there and do something and cause something to be done. The 57th anniversary march on washington, please join me in saluting our defender and my big brother, reverend al sharpton. [applause] no justice. No peace. No justice. No peace. No justice. No peace. No justice. No peace. What do we want . Justice. What do we want . Justice. What do we want . Justice. When do we want it . Now. When do we want it . Now. When do we want it . Now. When do we want it . Now. Alright. 57 years ago, in 1963, there was a struggle in birmingham alabama. There was the assassination of medgar evers, the head of the mississippi naacp. In the middle of struggle and murder, they came to washington to demand that the federal government give them a Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights. They marched that day. In the hot, blistering day, like today. Saying that as we struggle, we need legislation. And they stayed on that movement until they got their Civil Rights Act of 1964. And the Voting Rights act of 1965. They came, young and old, they came from the south. Many of them could not stop on the road to use a bathroom because it was against the law but they came anyhow. Many of them couldnt stop and eat in a restaurant. They had to put their sandwiches in a paper bag, because no restaurant would serve them, because it was against the law. But they came anyhow. Many of them couldnt rest in a motel overnight, but they came anyway. Because it was against the law for them to stop. Because they came in 1963, we were able to come back in 2020 riding wherever we wanted to ride, staying in whatever hotel was available, they opened the door for us, but there are still some doors we have to open and some people we have to straighten out. 2020, we must deal with Police Brutality. 2020, we must deal with those that want to rob our right to vote. And even though we are here in the midst of a pandemic, socially distancing telling you to distance and i keep saying spread out, we wanted to come to show that enough is enough. When i was headed to George Floyds funeral, i talked with martin the third, and i said you know, maybe we need to go back to washington. He said, lets talk it out, reverend al. As i was giving the eulogy, i announced this march. We didnt know how we were going to do it, how we were going to plan it, how many would come but we did it. Why are we in washington . I have talked with one of the leading minds of our nation, dr. Michael eric dyson. And he told me that, reverend al, you have to understand until you have federal legislation, every state will do what it wants to do. We have passed in the house of representatives the george floyd policing and justice act. Now, we need to pass that act in the senate. We need Mitch Mcconnell and the u. S. Senate to meet under George Floyds policing and justice act, or we are going to meet you senators at the polls on november 3. Whether we have to mail in, walkin, ride in, crawl in, we want our bill passed. [cheering and applause] several weeks ago, john lewis, an outstanding congressman, made his transition. Last time martin and i were here, he was with us, john lewis. He and reverend williams were beaten on the Edmund Pettus bridge teargased. That led to the montgomery march that got us the right to vote. That right lasted until 2013 when they took and gutted out the middle of that bill, taken away. When we come to washington saying how do you memorialize john lewis and allow the bill that he stood for us to die . We want the john lewis Voting Rights bill for the congress. [applause] we didnt just come today to have a show. Demonstration without legislation will not lead to change. We didnt come out and stand in this heat because we had nothing to do. We come to let you know that we will come out by these numbers in the heat and stand in the heat, that we will stand in the polls all day long. [applause] they keep telling me about how it is going to change, that black parents have to have the conversation with our children. How we have to explain if a cop stops you, dont reach for the glove compartment, dont talk back. The conversation. We have had the conversation for decades. It is time we have a conversation with america. We need to have a conversation about your racism, about your bigotry, about your hate, about how you would put your knee on our neck as we cry for our lives. We need a new conversation. [applause] we didnt come to start trouble, we came to stop trouble. You act like it is no trouble to shoot us in the back. You act like it is no trouble to put a chokehold on us. While we scream, i cant breathe, 11 times. You act like it is no trouble to hold a man on the ground while you squeeze the life out of him. It is time for a new conversation. I wondered why, i asked, why did they have the march at Lincoln Memorial . Why didnt they go to the Jefferson Memorial . Why didnt they go to the Washington Monument . And he told me, you have to understand, reverend al, 100 years before 1963 was 1863. 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation. He promised us full citizenship if we thought fought to save the union. He promised us 40 acres and a mule. We never got the full citizenship. We never got the reparations. We come to lincoln, because you promised, mr. Lincoln, and the promise has been broken. And we come like dr. King came 57 years ago, to say we are tired of broken promises. Some say to me, reverend al, you ought to do now those that get violent, all of those that pollute. Loot. All of the families have denounced looting. What we have not heard is you denounce shooting. We will speak against the looting, but when will you speak against wrong Police Shooting . [applause] reverend dr. Walker, dr. Richardson, who spoke today, sat us down, saying after the montgomery boycott, they had gone over into georgia, and the movement stalled, because in albany, they treated them with the same kindness. They said they wanted to find someone that would demonstrate the raw disregard for rights. And as they did, they went all over the south. And reverend shuttlesworth told them to come to birmingham because there was a police chief there named bull connor, who would act in an insensitive and brutal way. Well, in 1963, 1964, they fought bull connor. Here we are in 2020. We have gone from bull connor to bull trump. We have gone from a meanspirited sheriff to a meanspirited president , whose lips drink words of interposition and nullification. We do not want to be disrespected. How do you speak while this young man, jacob, lies in a hospital and you wont call his name . How do you sit while Breonna Taylor is in a grave, and you wont call her name . How do you sit while eric garner is in a grave, and you will not call his name . How do you set while george floyd is laying in a grave, and you wont call his name . Well mr. Trump, look right down , the block from the white house we have come to washington by the thousands. We gonna call their names. We gonna call their names. We will never let america forget what you have done. Call their names. [cheering and applause] this is the time, this is the time for legislative change. This is the time for us to vote like we have never voted before. And dont just vote for the top of the ticket, vote all the way down. Go down from the top to the bottom. Vote all the way to the dogcatcher. We want to get rid of anybody that is in our way, because our parents died to give us the right to vote. You can mess with the mail, but it aint the sacrifice that goodman and chaney gave. Our vote is dipped in blood, our vote is dipped in those who went to the grave. We dont care what you do, we want to vote not for one candidate or the other, that we are going to vote for a nation that will stop the George Floyds, that will stop the Breonna Taylors. They say, when George Zimmerman was acquitted for the murder of Trayvon Martin, three young genius sisters wrote the slogan black lives matter. And it resonated. Why didnt resonate . Because too long, you acted like we didnt matter. They said, well, everybody matters, but everybody has not mattered the same in america. The reason we had and still have to say black lights matter is black lives matter is because we get Less Health Care like we dont matter. ,we go to jail longer for the same crime, like we dont matter. We get poverty, unemployment double the others, like we dont matter. We are treated with disrespect by policeman that we pay their salaries, like we dont matter. So we figured we would let you know whether we are tall or short, fat or skinny, lightskinned or dark skinned black lives matter. And we will not stop until it matters to everybody. [cheering and applause] [indistinct chatter] she wants to hold up her first, you her alone. [applause] leave her alone. Let me say, as you hear from some of the victims, and as we get ready to march over to the king memorial, 1963, dr. King talked about, he had a dream. Today, we heard from his heir and his son, Martin Luther king theiii, his beautiful wife, andrea, his granddaughter yolanda. , and they are in their bloodline the children and grandchildren of the dreamer. But we come in the same spiritualness. Because i want this country to to know that even with your brutality, you cannot rob us of our dreams. Your bigotry cant rob us of our dreams. Because we have always had to dream beyond our circumstance. We always had to dream of being what we were not allowed to be. We are the dream keepers, which is why we come today, black and white, and all races and religions, and sexual orientations, to say that this dream is still alive. You might have killed the dreamer but you cant kill the , dream. Because truth shall rise again. We gonrise never to fall again. We gon stand up, even when our legs are tired. We are going to make this dream come true. [applause] let me say this. Let me say this, as we close ssshhh. I want everybody to be orderly. Let me say this, we all should leave here committed to keeping this dream alive. I want everybody who went to the website, nationalactionnetwork. Net, that wants to help us on election day, be pullpoll watchers, to protect our vote. Early voting starts in two weeks. We in a nonpartisan way want to , put people all over this country. They want to suppress our vote. We have got to have foot soldiers that will protect the vote and will be out there. I want you to say to yourself that you could have been so much more. You had ideas and dreams not only as a race but as a person but society had their knee on your neck. We could have developed and been as successful as others, but society had their knee on our neck. But we are not going to lay and submit no more. We are not going to take it. Some have different tactics, but we all are rising up. You gon get your knee off our necks. If we have to march every day, if we have to vote every day, we will get your knee off our neck. Enough is enough. Enough is enough. Enough is enough. [cheers and applause] no justice. No peace. No justice. No peace. No justice. No peace. No justice. No peace. Alright. I want to bring out i want you all to back up i want you all to bring, to my left is the mother of Breonna Taylor. [cheering and applause] say her name. Breonna taylor. Say her name. Breonna taylor. Say her name. Breonna taylor. Let us hear from to maketamika, the mother of Breonna Taylor. [cheering and applause] tamika hi, everybody. [chanting] no justice. No peace. Hi, everybody. No justice. Tamika first, i just want to thank everybody who has been in support of getting justice for Breonna Taylor. Second, i have to thank louisville until freedom, my family and most importantly, Kenneth Walker for coming out here and continuing to say her name louder. What we need is change. We are at a point where we can get that change, but we have to stand together. We have to vote. [indistinct conversations] [laughter] yeah. [chanting] Breonna Taylor. Say her name. Breonna taylor. Say her name. Breonna taylor. Say her name. Breonna taylor. Say her name. Breonna taylor. Say her name. Breonna taylor. Say her name. Breonna taylor. Reverend sharpton say her name Breonna Taylor say her name Breonna Taylor say her name Breonna Taylor reverend sharpton all right wait a minute. , i brought mr. Lincoln all of the broken promises. We all stopped when a man was killed with a knee on his neck narrated his own death on videotape and didnt know they were recording. But his death has been the impetus of a global movement. I bring you his brother, the brother of george floyd, philonise floyd. [applause] [chanting] george floyd. George floyd. George floyd. Say his name george floyd say his name joy george floyd philonese thank you all. To my sister, bridget, my attorney,tony romanucci, my wife, my sister tonya, my nephew, brandon ok. I am so overwhelmed right now with everybody here right now. Man. [cheers] i wish george were here to see this right now. Thats who i am marching for. I am marching for george, for breonna, for ahmaud , for jacob, for pamela turner, for Michael Brown, trayvon, and anybody else who lost their life to evil. [voice breaking] man. [applause] [chanting] George Floyd George floyd say his name george floyd say his name george floyd philonese its never been more clear than right now, change is happening right now, because we demand it. [chanting] no justice no peace no justice no peace philonese everyone here has made a commitment, because they wouldnt be here for no other reason right now. Its hot, and i know its hot. But as of now, we are here because we are being fried right now man. I am trying. [crowd chanting] im good. Im good. I got it. No justice peace. No justice no peace no justice. No peace. No justice. No peace. I cant breathe. I cant breathe. Everybody out here right now, our leaders need to follow us while we are marching, to enough enact laws to protect us. Man its hard, man. It is really hard. I am sorry, man. [cheers] [chanting] say his name george floyd say his name george floyd say his name george floyd philonese my brother george, is , looking down right now. He is thankful for everything everybody is doing right now. Youll are showing a lot of empathy and passion. I am enjoying every last bit of it right now. If it wasnt for yall, i dont know where i would be right now because you all are keeping me running. I have to advocate for everybody, man, because right now jacob blake its hard to , talk right now, shot seven times, man. With his kids. Thats painful. Say it. I am trying. I am trying. Say his name george floyd say his name george floyd say his name george floyd. Am George Floyds sister. I want you guys to ask yourself right now how will the history books remember you . What will be your legacy . Will your future generations remember you for your complacency, your inaction, or will they remember you for your empathy, your leadership, your passion . For weeding out the injustices and evil in the world . Martin luther king stood here 57 years ago, and he told the world his dream. That i dont think you all know that we are here right now and have the power to make it happen [applause] i dont think yall hear me [applause] we have to do it together. We have to do it together. For our generations to come. Our children my brother cannot be a voice today. We have to be that voice. We have to be the change. And we have to be his legacy. Thank you, from the floyd family. [applause] no justice no peace no justice no peace say his name george floyd say his name george floyd say his name george floyd say his name george floyd say his name george floyd say his name george floyd say his name george floyd say his name george floyd whats his name . George floyd say his name george floyd say his name george floyd say his name george floyd say his name george floyd [chanting] reverend sharpton now, wait a minute. You are all too close to each other. Yall stretch out now. I know we are outside and we have on masks, but dont get that close. Yall social distance. You are all too tight up here. [chatter] a few days ago a few days ago ok. All right go ahead. , go ahead. Go ahead queen. Come on, sister. Give a hand to the floyd family as we get ready. [applause] ssshhh. Now, yall are too loud. Why are you screaming . Now, a few days ago, i got a call and talked to a father whose son was shot in kenosha, wisconsin seven times in the back. While he was running into his car, policemen grabbed the edge of his tshirt. There was no weapon in his hand. There was no threat to the policemen. By law, a police man should only use deadly force when they are under lifeextenuating circumstance. What could have been the circumstance, when a man is running away from you . What could have been the circumstance, when a man is trying to get in his car . Not a say. Now they say that they are found a knife in his car. Well did they examine the police to see if they have xray vision to see through the car . Door . When he shot him, he did not know what was in the car. What he knew was that a black man seems to be expendable, and we come to say, we are no longer expendable. We are going to demand justice. [applause] his mother and father are both here. His mother got a little heat exhaustion and is sitting in the tent, but i bring you the father of this young man, who we all are rallying for. This is jacobs daddy, who said to me, i am going to fight for my son, i am going to fight for justice. Lets welcome to the platform, jacob, sr. We need to make way. Reverend sharpton jacob blake. say his name. Jacob blake. Say his name. Jacob blake. Say his name. Jacob blake. Say his name. Jacob blake. She is going to speak for her mother. Reverend sharpton his sister is going to speak for the mother first who is in the tent. America, unapologetically, i am here to tell you in front of the world that youve got the right one. [applause] god has been preparing me. America, your reality is not real. Catering to your delusions is no longer an option. We will not pretend, we will not be your docile slaves, we will not be a footstool to oppression. Most of all, we will not dress up this genocide and call it Police Brutality. We will only pledge allegiance to the truth. Black america, i hold you accountable. You must stand, you must fight but not with violence and chaos. With selflove. Learn to learn yourself learn to love yourself, black people. Unify. [cheers] group economics. Black women, you are your brothers keeper. I know its heavy, but forgive him and heal. His manner was taken from him a long time ago. Build him up. Black children, read. Learn, grow, and live, and question everything. Black man, stand up. Stand up, black men educate yourself and protects the black family unit, period. [applause] reverend sharpton no justice. no peace. Reverend sharpton no justice. No peace. No justice. No peace. Jacob blake. Jacob blake. Jacob blake. Jacob blake. There are two systems of justice in the United States. There is a white system and there is a black system. The black system aint doing so well. But we are going to stand up every black person in the United States is going to stand up we are tired i am tired of looking at cameras and seeing these young black and brown people suffer. We are going to hold court today. We are going to hold court on systematic racism. We are going to have court right now. Guilty yeah guilty guilty guilty. Racism against all of us. Guilty. Guilty guilty guilty guilty. Racism against Trayvon Martin. We find them guilty. Guilty racism against jacob blake. Guilty. Guilty and were not taking it anymore. And i ask everyone to stand up. No justice no peace no justice no peace i met this man when i was seven years old. How did i know i was going to meet this man again under these circumstances . I truly did not want to come and see you all today for these reasons. My father was in town for the first march on d. C. I have a duty to support and understand each 1 i love everybody in this crowd. I love you if nobody told you today, i love you. But we are going to stand up baby. We are going to stand up together, i need your strength. Big daddys legs arent that good anymore. I need your strength. No justice no peace no justice no peace i love yall. [applause] reverend sharpton i want to bring the attorney who represents these families, who represents the many families here. There are many families here. And i think we should hear from a few more before we march to the king memorial. Good afternoon, d. C. I am attorney lamarr, and they represent the acevedo family who was killed in the city of milwaukee by an offduty officer before george floyd and was strangled for 10 minutes. I also represent the family of jacob blake, who was inhumanely shot seven times, but he lives today. At this time, i want to just thank reverend, al sharpton, and the National Action network, for having this event here today. Because action is what we are here for. I am going to tell you right now, we are tired of talking. We are tired of talking. We are tired of playing games. 2020 is the year that america is going to be put on timeout. We thank the milwaukee bucks. [applause] yes milwaukee and all the nba teams who sacrificed their games for this special cause. We thank the major league baseball, we thank all the actors and entertainers and celebrities across this country who utilized their platform for justice. Today, i just want to let you know, this is the last season of the Police Version of how to get away with murder. [applause] we know your playbook. We know your plays. Step one, claim that you are in fear. Find an object or an action and say that you are in fear so you can justify killing us black and brown people. Step two, assassinate that black and brown person. And then step three, you assassinate his character. Then i think you get to step four, you delay the investigation. You exaggerate it. You have video that takes 10 seconds to watch but you take 3, 4, 5 months to say that you are still investigating. Then you cause an uproar in our community. Then you attack our protesters that are gathering peacefully and take any extreme. You use tear gas against them. I want to let you know, we are here today because the game is over. This timeout is not in vain. We know your plays. And it is over. It is training day for Police Officers and Law Enforcement agencies across the country. It is training day. If you dont train your officers on Standard Operating Procedures and get them racial bias training, the civil rights lawyers of this country will hold you accountable. And i will tell you right now, it is not going to be cheap, because black lives matter. [cheers and applause] i want to thank you right now all across this country for standing up for justice, standing up for this very important cause. The time is now. To take change. And we are not going to stop until we get it. And we are going to shut it down if we dont get it. If we dont get it, if we dont get it shut it down thank you. [applause] now i am going to bring out the family of joy acevedo, another case in wisconsin where officers strangled an innocent man for 10 minutes. Ooh. [applause] let us free. We need to be free. We are a free people. I come down here to let everyone know and let this government knows well that would have rights, and if there is never going to be justice, there is never going to be no peace [applause] i love this. This is what god wants, our brothers and sisters to stand as one in unity with the hispanics asians, every different nationality standing together. Acevedo did not deserve to die. He was my son, invited to a police party. Where there was drugs and alcohol. The city of milwaukee has been hiding his case. They cuffed him for over 10 minutes at the officers house michael, along with his two accomplices that they want to use as witnesses. Andrew and eric. Mr. Peterson, i tell you right now, america, wake up. Because you are going to get a rude awakening. And we come against you, satan in the name of jesus christ. We stand for whats right. Thank you, i love you all. [applause] reverend sharpton as we bring on attorney stuart and the family of Ahmaud Arbery, hold it we are trying to get everybody in. No justice. No peace. Reverend sharpton as we get the next set of family members to come forward and then prepare to march to the king memorial, many athletes and artists have stood for justice. One of them said, i am coming to sing for the family. Maybe hear from internationally acclaimed artist, bebe winans. [applause] no justice no peace no justice no peace [chanting] no justice no peace bebe this song, i wrote after the death of freddie gray. My son at the time was 15 years old. And all i remember was saying my sons eyes in freddies eyes. And i went to the piano, and i wrote a song not just for my son, but for every son and daughter that is represented. Black lives matter. I said, black lives matter. [applause] black lives matter [chanting] black lives matter black lives matter tomorrow i hope to see his eyes looking back at me with that smile his possibilities and our plans dont take away from me with your hands at night, i close my eyes and i pray lord, cover him with love and your grace how can you know his heart . My friend when you only judge him by his skin its the right to live im after want to trade these tears for laughter in one moment dreams are shattered our sons and daughters matter yes, black lives matter so let my words resound clear with hands lifted high, and sincere and revere in hope of saving lives we hold dear yes, we do its the right to live were after we want to trade our tears for laughter because in one moment in one moment, dreams are shattered our sons and daughters, they matter yes they do black lives matter my children, your children rich children, poor children jesus loves the little children all the children of the world your children, her children his children, our children, jesus loves the little children all the children of the world its the right to live its the right to live i am after we must trade these tears for laughter because in one moment, one moment dreams are scattered our sons and daughters matter yes they do, yes they do black lives, black lives matter oh, else say it one more time, oh your children, our children rich children, poor children jesus loves the little children all the children of the world his children, her children your children, our children, jesus loves the little children all the children of the world its the right. We have a right to live this is the time to train our kids trade our tears for laughter just one moment, one moment one moment, dreams are shattered our sons and daughters, they matter matter yes they do, yes they do because black lives, black lives matter oh so tomorrow, i hope to see my sons eyes my sons eyes looking back at me eeee [applause] reverend sharpton bebe winans i work with attorney Justice Miller and i thank you for the support you all have given us in our cases. On behalf of the daughter of george floyd, on behalf of rayshard brooks, on behalf of walter scott and alton sterling and all of the other names. The support is because of the community here. Because of rev because of the merrick, because of ben crump, because all the people standing up and fighting. 57 years ago, we were standing right here, trying to fight poverty and oppression. It is not changed. There has been no vaccine for racism, no quarantine from Police Brutality. That is why we are here today. Because we are the cure. The children are not victims they are the vaccine. Thank you for your support. Continue to fight, because without you, we are nothing. [applause] reverend sharpton let us here attorney merritt is bringing the mother the sister of elton bottombotham jean, killed by a policewoman who thought she was in her house. Let us hear from the sister. Hello, everyone. My name is alisa findlay. I first want to thank the National Action network. I would like to thank the National Action network reverend al sharpton, and Martin Luther king iii for organizing and convening this botham jean march. Is my brother. September 6 marks two years since i last heard his voice heard his laugh. Two years since my family has felt whole. Because september 6 will be two years since amber guyger shot my brother through his heart. Botham died while sitting at his home eating ice cream and , watching football. He was minding his own business. Since then i have been on a mission to seek reform to the severely broken Justice System, because bohttham would still be alive today. Instead, we are nine days away from the second anniversary of his murder. Two years of saying his name and antwon roses name, years seeking justice for dj henry. Four years of saint terrence crutchers name, chantelle davids, sandra blands, and so many other. I am tired of learning new names, adding new hashtags to an already long list of victims of police terror. We cannot allow our brothers and sisters to only be remembered for how they died. We need to continue to push for change so that their lives were not taken in vain. We are all in this together. We are our brothers and sisters keeper. Thank you. [applause] reverend sharpton the mother of Ahmaud Arbery, young man jogging shot down in cold blood in , georgia. Brunswick, georgia. Give wanda a big hand. [applause] i stand before you the proud mother of Ahmaud Arbery. I am carrying a very broken heart, but also a grateful heart, that god chose my son , Ahmaud Arbery, to be a part of this movement, huge movement. I do believe if we continue to stand and fight together, that will get change. Sadly, when we have these types of tragic events, far too often. But i want each of you to please dont forget their names. Please let their names live forever. I want to share three words that i know ahmaud would want you to share as well, i love you. I love you all for standing with us. We love you too [chanting] [applause] i also want you guys to help me chant his name, and maybe hear he will hear it in the heavens. Say his name. Ahmaud arbery. Say his name. Ahmaud arbery. Thank you, and i love you. [applause] [chanting] Ahmaud Arbery say his name Ahmaud Arbery say his name reverend sharpton let us hear from attorney lee merritt. Black power black power i said, black power black power you can not afraid to say black power. You cannot say that black lives matter if you do not believe black power. Black power black power the only way we stop this from happening is when we begin to exercise our own power. I have been hearing a lot from the republican National Convention all week, and they keep telling me that this man freed the slaves. Let me tell you something, lincoln didnt free no slaves, we freed the slaves. We free ourselves when we fight for ourselves. And we fight for ourselves through black power. Say it with me, black power black power black power black power say their names tatyana jefferson, jamal robinson. Botham jean. Oscar grant. Sylville smith deandre arbor. Terence crutcher. There are so many names, we cant say them all. But listen, say it one more time so they hear you in the white house. Black power black power reverend sharpton let us hear from the father of Ahmaud Arbery. One thing, i just want to find god for all support for my son i want to thank god for all the support for my son and his mother. I just want to say it has been a hard road because my son was lynched by three white men. It has been hard road for me and my family. Sometimes i find myself saying, i cant believe it, but its real. Usually my boy called me every day and told me he loves me. Sometimes im like, he forgot to call me. It just isnt real. I cant believe it. I sit back and say, my boy is gone. He is not coming back, so me and his family have got to be his voice now. We have to keep on fighting. I am not going to stop until god calls me home. But black power, power to the people and thank yall. [chanting] say his name Ahmaud Arbery Ahmaud Arbery Ahmaud Arbery Ahmaud Arbery can we also say the name Trayvon Martin . Trayvon martin Trayvon Martin Trayvon Martin Trayvon Martin please welcome Trayvon Martins mother. Our hero our shero, sabrina fulton, as she comes Trayvon Martin Trayvon Martin Trayvon Martin Trayvon Martin Trayvon Martin. Sabrina fulton. Love you thank you. Thank you. I just want to say, even though we are going through a crisis, even though it looks dark, i want to tell you to be encouraged. I want to tell you, in spite of what we go through, be strong. Stand tall. Be encouraged. Dont stop saying black lives matter. Dont stop protesting. Dont stop praying. Dont stop uniting. Stand together. This is what this is about, we were billed for this built for this last but not least, i want to leave with you my favorite bible verse, proverb 3 6. It says trust in the lord with , all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your path. Regardless of what youre going through folks, trust in god. He is the only one that matters. Standup people, we were built for this. Keep fighting [applause] reverend sharpton amen. Trayvon martin Trayvon Martin Trayvon Martin Trayvon Martin lets give a round of applause to sabrina fulton. All these families come for their strength and their courage. [applause] another brother who the nypd killed, eric garner, i cant breathe i cant breathe i cant breathe i cant breathe i cant breathe we have now eric garner jr. If you all would let her make her way to the restroom eric garners mother is here. Everybody give her a round of applause. [applause] i cant breathe i cant breathe its been six years since my fathers words became our words. We have to make a change. I am challenging the young people to go out and vote. It is possible for change. We just have to put in the work. Go out and find out what we have to do and what people we have to vote in to make a change. We hear to march peacefully we are here to march peacefully. I dont want to see no ruins. I dont want to see no nothing. Just march peacefully. I am eric garner jr. That is my message. [applause] we have the mother of oscar grant. Ladies and gentlemen, just a word quickly, please. Wanda johnson, ladies and gentlemen. Good afternoon. I want you to know that this race is not given to the swift nor to the strong, but to the one who endures. We are is fighting people. Micah 6 8 says, what does the lord require of you . To walk humbly and justly. When we think about justice, we look out as a people. We have not received the justice that we deserve, and it is going to require each and everyone of us to continue to band together. To continue to march. To continue to protest. To continue to call the on unjustices unjust. You as a people can make it happen. We can change some of the laws that are before us. If we band together. I have it with me my brother and we are here to fight till the end, because we know, we know from oscars case, only 11 months in the county jail, where is the justice . Where is the justice . We look at liberty and liberty is imbalanced. Until we as a people begin to fight like we are fighting today, like Martin Luther king had that dream, so we must have the dream that we are going to see equality of all people. I am oscar grant say his name oscar grant say his name oscar grant [chanting] [applause] we got a couple more. Out of respect, we just want to bring everyone to bring very brief greetings so we can line up in march. The mother of dontre hamilton. The people have the power. We will show up on november 3 to take our country back we will show up. November 3, to take our family back. I am Dontre Hamiltons mother. He was shot 14 times while sleeping in a park. I will never stop fighting for you. Lets fight together. Sisters and brothers, let me just say this. The problem is, the police have killed so many of us, there is not even up enough time for us to hear from every family. But im going to acknowledge the families that are around me, just to acknowledge who is here. The family of stefon clark is here. Hold your fist up brother. , the family of Michael Brown is here. Come stand next to me so the people can see you. The family of sybile smith is here. The family of Terence Crutcher is here. Who am i leaving out . Davis jones is here. Am i leaving anybody out . Philip panelle. Antwon rose. Montez hamrin. The mother of montez hamlin. Look emmanuel lee. You see all the names that are being called. Stephon clark here. We want to pray for all these families. Pamela turner. Tamir rice. Please follow the instructions of the marshals and begin to line up to my right. As we begin to yall all right with one more . We are not doing all of that. Yall on tv right now. Youre on camera. Ok. All right. Lets let everybody lineup. You can see the crowd shifting to the right. Lets make way for these families to lead the march. Get over there and maybe you can jump on the mic over there. No justice no peace no justice no peace [chanting black lives matter] [indiscernible] no justice no peace no justice no peace no justice no peace no justice no peace no justice no peace no justice no peace [indiscernible] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] on tuesday, Steven Mnuchin testifies before the oversight and Reform Committee on the need for additional Economic Relief for children, workers, and families and the implementation of stimulus programs up her approved earlier this year. Watch coverage at 1 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan, cspan. Org, or the cspan radio app. Coming up, author and historian Harold Holzer examines the relationship between the media and president s going back to george washington. In the first interview, he talks about president s prior to franklin roosevelt. After that, a forum on how Foreign Policy plays into voters choosing a president. Then from washington journal Foreign Policy analyst and author brandon weikert talks about his latest book on the importance of american dominance in space. Susan historian Harold Holzer, we were talking that this was book number 54 few president s versus the press. Harold i wanted to explore the relationship between chief executives and the journalists who have