Following protest after the shooting of another black man at the hands of the police. My grandmas generation, it breaks their hearts that here we are, spending our 20s having to fight for our right to live. With a little over two months before the president ial election, Voting Rights are also under the spotlight, with appeals for a fair balance. Asa with appeals for a fair balance. As a weaker more shocking violence in america comes to an end, we will have extended coverage of events in washington. The march march, and reaction from our guests on why half a century on, the speech is so releva nt a century on, the speech is so relevant today. And this is the scene in washington right now. The march is being called the commitment march. Get your knee of our necks. Hello and welcome to bbc news. Many in america still remember that hot august day in 1963 when civil rights leadersjoin church august day in 1963 when civil rights leaders join Church Leaders and trade unionist and organising one of the biggest gatherings of protest marches in the nations history. It was called the march on washington and ended with a speech by doctor Martin Luther king that resonates today, his i have a dream speech. But that dream remains just that, say the organisers of a commemorative march which caps a week of protests and violence following the shooting of another black man at the hands of the police. And tragically, the call is more than half a century ago for equality and justice are pretty much the same calls being made today. So why has so little change . What is it about america that means race remains such a live issue, to an extent greater than in many mature western democracies . And how important good this issue be in a crucial Election Year . We will bring you all the action taking place in washington on the National Mall with the march and speeches coming up including from the likes of the reverend al sharpton and the family of george floyd. We will also have a line up of great guests for you, offering expert analysis. To help put what is happening today in some perspective, here is a look at what happened in washington on the state nearly 60 years ago. We shall overcome. They reached the Nations Capital any way they could. The sunny morning of one of the brightest days in washingtons history brings people by their trainload, the bus load, the planeload to every part of america to their capital. And every part of americas new racism. So the marchers who wanted to bear witness to history and the struggle for equal and human rights came from all corners of the land. The organisers were a Cross Section of civil rights leaders, labour unions, and religious organisations. Coming together under one battle cry, the demand forjobs and freedom. Freedom cry, the demand forjobs and freedoi the i f isiefiom e cry, the demand forjobs and freedoi the freedom m e whites. The freedom to fully enjoy their american dream. Media interest was higher than for John F Kennedys inauguration two yea rs John F Kennedys inauguration two years earlier, and no wonder. This was the biggest gathering of participants for a single event ever in washington. More than a quarter ofa in washington. More than a quarter of a Million People. We are going to walk together we are going to stand together many reflecting on americas profound live. All were not created equal, and future generations should not have to live with the betrayal. Profound lie. In the heat, the speakers came and went, but it was the last man to ta ke went, but it was the last man to take the microphone whose words have echoed down the years. A man who had a dream. Black lives matter black lives matter the dream that to this day, for many African Americans remains unfulfilled. As the young demand the samejustice their unfulfilled. As the young demand the same justice their elders had fought for. It shames america that almost 60 years later, there has to be another march on washington. That the betrayal of its people persists, that the dream remains. Here we are again almost 60 years on. 0ur correspondences at the National Mall in washington. Barbara, a few people gathering behind you. Social distancing will affect the numbers turning out today, but ijust wonder what the main message is that the marchers are trying to get across . Well, they are getting across the message that they still dont feel equal 57 years after the largest civil rights protest in us history took place at this very same spot, so took place at this very same spot, so its expressing itself in anger in police shootings, which have, of course, because dollars protests this summer. And they will be demands for legislation on police reform, but i think that is the message they really want to get across with this march, and also, they are looking ahead to the future, to the election. We have been listening to pre programming here before the speakers come on, and again and again, we hear people being urged to go and register to vote. I talk to some people in the crowd. They said they were determined to be here because of the historic moment and they wanted to tell their children about it. But equally, one young woman said, i did not want to come, because i felt we should not have to be here again demanding rights. Indeed. And it will be a poignant set of commemorations, because we will hear from the families of some African Americans who, the marchers say, where gunned down, extrajudicial, by the police. Breonna taylor, eric gardner, and so on. It will be very poignant hearing them speak. Thats right. 0ne poignant hearing them speak. Thats right. One of the main features of this programme will be this very sad roll call of family members who have experienced their children being shot by police or by vigilantes, and those names have become very familiar to people in america, especially those activists to protest day after day. They roll off the tongue now in a very depressing way, really. 0ne the tongue now in a very depressing way, really. One of the people we will speak to is the father of jacob blake, who was shot this week in wisconsin. His grandfather was a Civil Rights Activist in the 1960s. These things all tied together in ways we would not expect. That will be very much the focus here, criminal justice, be very much the focus here, criminaljustice, but they be very much the focus here, criminal justice, but they will be demanding concrete change, notjust looking at what has happened, but there is legislation in front of congress right now about reforming the police, and they want this to be advocacy for getting that legislation passed, in the same way that in 1963 they were advocating for civil rights legislation that was in front of congress to get past. And of course, barbara, you will cover the president ial election injust over two will cover the president ial election in just over two months time. Will cover the president ial election injust over two months time. How will all this feed into that, do you think, for both donald trump and his opponent on the democratic side . Ican opponent on the democratic side . I can tell you that there is a lot of energy hear about the election. It is always mentioned in the second breath after Police Violence, they are definitely planning to move just beyond this moment. They want to organise young leadership to work on a get out the Vote Campaign and to do it in whatever way they can. They see this is very much a part of this moment, especially as they are worried about Voter Suppression, so they are also pressing for legislative change with regards to protecting Voting Rights. This will bea protecting Voting Rights. This will be a focus here. I think the Biden Campaign will support it. We have been hearing similar messages during the Democratic National convention. 0n the republican side, protests have sometimes been accompanied by violence, as we have seen, and that is what the republicans have focused on. They have said this is a law and order issue, they are using those images american seat on their tv of burning vehicles and clashes to say, the streets are out of control, democratic governors in charge of those cities are not doing enough, you need to elect us. That will resonate with a certain amount of notice, i think. Resonate with a certain amount of notice, ithink. That resonate with a certain amount of notice, i think. That is certainly what mr trump places emphasis on. Barbara, thank you for that. And we may cross to you a little later on for more of the atmosphere there on the National Mall. That is just beneath the Lincoln Memorial they are right in the heart of the capital. This years marchers, of course, being held in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, forcing many to participate virtually. They will be live stream is at the event bringing it onto phones and tablets around america and the world. The bbc has spoken to some of those planning to participate, asking them why a message from almost 60 years ago remains as relevant today. there is going to be any change at all in this country, that change is going to come from our capital. We are at a breaking point. When does it end . I mean, when does it end . This is my streaming device in my tripod, which i attach to my gemmill. I have these shirts which will be wearing to the march on washington. We may not see justice and what that looks like in our generation, but we still fight regardless. Yes, so even we have been organising in new york for around the past few months. We have been at the forefront of organising in new york with some other groups. I think this is the most important demonstration of the year. Going to the Nations Capital and letting them know, these are our demands, and ensuring the president and eve ryo ne and ensuring the president and everyone else can hear us. This is my personal protective equipment. I have a respirator for the cs gas, eye protection, which is important, andl eye protection, which is important, and i have got to protect the important bits. You saw this movement sparkled across the world. People are marching in solidarity, documenting stuff being one of the most important things we can do in motivating these movements and making change. Never have so many people participated in an event in the capital, and with such a feeling of hope and friendship. My grandmother experienced the march oii my grandmother experienced the march on washington in 1962. Im not she talked about what life was like before. It feels like what she is doing what she was doing, those people are passing the mantle down to us. This is saint petersburg, tampa. I was this is saint petersburg, tampa. Iwas in this is saint petersburg, tampa. I was in the United States air force for 20 years. I fought for this country, and i refuse to see it go back to the 60s. I havent fought for our country to fall back to that time. Good afternoon. You are still watching bbc news, we will be back in washington. We will have continuing coverage of a very important afternoon there. It we will break away from our coverage on bbc world news, because we must return to a development here in the uk over the last half an hour or so. We have had developments at the old bailey in the case of a number of men who are standing trial in connection with the deaths that you will remember last year, that im. The deaths of 39 vietnamese migrants who were found in a lorry in essex last october. A desperate story im sure you all remember. 0ur correspondent Sangita Myska is at the old bailey. She has been following the trail. Bring us up to date with what is happening in court. Yes, one of those men ronan hughes, is aged a0 and from ireland. He appeared here at court 12 of the old bailey and pled guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter. You will remember that it was in october last year that 39 vietnamese migrants, including two teenagers and eight women were found deadin teenagers and eight women were found dead in the back of a trailer. What we know is that the trailer had been moved via ferry from zeebrugge in belgium over to the port of purfleet in essex. From there, that trailer was driven over to a lorry parked in grays. Ronan hughes was the man who owned that lorry. After the names of each of the 39 people who died were read out in court, he pled guilty to his part in their debts. At an earlier hearing this year, another man called mo robinson from Northern Ireland also pled guilty to manslaughter. As you say, there was another man who appeared in court today. He was Aman Harrison from cou nty today. He was Aman Harrison from county down in Northern Ireland, and today he pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. Eamonn harrison. And to remind viewers, a desperate case which viewers might remember. 39 people losing their lives, two of them just teenagers. Thats right, andi them just teenagers. Thats right, and i think we need to tread very carefully in what we say next, jane. There is a court case scheduled for the 5th of october. We need to tread very carefully so we do not commit a co nte m pt of very carefully so we do not commit a contempt of court which would subsequently derail that trial, but you are quite right. 39 migrants, all of whom came from poor parts of vietnam. We know they must have travelled thousands of miles. We understand that the trailer in question had moved from zeebrugge in belgium over here to the Southern Coast of britain and from there, that trailer was moved, as i say, to g rays that trailer was moved, as i say, to grays in essex. We know that at 1 a0am in the morning on the 20th of 0ctober, 1 a0am in the morning on the 20th of october, a call was made to the local Ambulance Services, and it was they who turned up at that lorry park and found the 39 deceased. For now, thank you very much. That is our correspondent Sangita Myska at the old bailey. As she was saying, ronan hughes, a0 years old, pleading guilty to manslaughter. Now, we are very much this afternoon staying with coverage from washington, dc, because we are staying with these events, and commemorations, campaigns on the mall right on the centre of washington, dc. In the centre. And we will return to continuing coverage from oui and we will return to continuing coverage from our colleagues at bbc world news. The Lincoln Memorial. Not as many crowds anticipated as one might imagine given the political context at the moment, because of social distancing, but i have to say, from the various camera angles we have been looking at, still a pretty sizable turnout. Some parts of the crowd certainly not social distancing. So we anticipate an update on numbers, and it looks as if thousands of people have arrived for the next few hours of speeches, commemorations. Lets listen into washington. Built in Harlem New York under the leadership of reverend al sharpton. Lets give him a round of applause. Im here to tell everybody that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and Transgender Community as part of this struggle we join with black lives matter. We march with you. We get arrested, we risk arrest and we get arrested, we risk arrest and we get brutalised in support. After all, the Gay Rights Movement was formed because of brutality of the police in a bar known as stonewall. Until the black community is recognised as an equal community, until the police harassment, the police belittle meant, the police shootings, and the police killings, we will stand united. We are all one we want you to know that we will continue demonstrating. We will continue marching. We will continue marching. We will continue to protest. We will continue to protest. We will continue to protest. We will continue to upset the power structure. We will continue to risk arrest. We will continue to risk arrest. We will continue to risk arrest. We will continue to be arrested. We will continue to be arrested. We will continue to be arrested. We will be part of this movement, and of all the demonstrations and protests in new york and across the country. You can see our rainbow flags and our rainbow banners. Black lives matter. Flags and our rainbow banners. Black lives matter. Black lives matter is one of the most important organisations and movements in this country and in history. I thank you all. I thank reverend al sharpton and the National Action network for putting this together and being such a good friend to the lgbt community. Together to victory and evoked out the races in the white house, vote out, and vote out his entire administration and his supporters. Thank you. Yes, one of the speakers there, and lbtq activist, showing the range of protest is down there, and the coalition that has come together for this march on washington. Lgbtq . A little earlier, we heard from marcus king from the International Brotherhood of teamsters, which is one of the biggest unions in the United States, that was very much a feature of the march 1963, that coalition of religious leaders, civil rights leaders, and strong trade unions as well. Clearly, the activists and organisers of this march are trying to bring a flavour of those events back in 1963 with a similar coalition. Disparate groups we re similar coalition. Disparate groups were all brought together under one flag, they say, which is unity and equality, particularly under the law. Lets talk now to maurice mitchell, the National Director for the working families party, a Grassroots Group that advocates for progressive causes. Its good to see you. Thank you forjoining us here on bbc news. What do you make of this latter day march on washington . Is it the kind of thing that could actually get things changed in america . Well, its good to be here, and thanks for having us. I think this march, you have to put into the context of the broader black freedom struggle, and soi broader black freedom struggle, and so i look at this march as just another iteration of all the work that has been culminating for decades, centuries, for black people to achieve equality, freedom and justice in this country. So every march is simply a tactic. We dont just look at tactics outside of the context of the work that we do. We look at tactics like this march in the context of us Building Political power, building independent power, so that black people could have Self Determination in our communities, could determine for ourselves how we want to, for example, approach public safety. To determine for ourselves who governs us, and that is not micro there is plenty of work that remains on the agenda from the past 60 years that has yet to be resolved. I think this march highlights that even though there has been dramatic and very important firsts, like the first black president , after we elected a black president , after we elected a black president , after we elected a black president , we elected donald trump, who certainly is a white supremacist and White Nationalist president. So every time we make a step forward, we make several steps back, and these symbolic firsts, i think, belie the lived experience of everyday working class black folks, so even under a black president , everyday working class black folks are still being gunned down in the street, are still suffering twice the Unemployment Rate of white folks in this country, as still dealing with educational apartheid in this country. So again, there has been some progress, absolutely, but there has been so much on the agenda that has been so much on the agenda that has yet to be resolved, and i think this march is an opportunity for us to reflect on that. Sure. The facts are there, and they have been obvious to african america ns are there, and they have been obvious to African Americans and black people in the United States for a decade after decade after decade. I wonder what it is that is ultimately going to shift white opinion in all of this . We have seen a lot of particularly young white peoplejoin a lot of particularly young white people join those protest marches following the death of george floyd. What is it going to take to move the dial with congress, move the dial with the senate, move the dial with those who have the power and influence to actively change things . Well, just for the record, the movement for black lives, according to media reports, is the largest protest movement in our nations history. There has been a sea change, a reckoning, around Racial Justice and around the conditions of black folks, and what we see in the movement for black lives and the historic actions that continue to happen day in and day out in all types of places, and recently, with what is going on in wisconsin around the horrible shooting that took place in wisconsin just a few days ago, what we are witnessing is a black led movement that is cross sector and multiracial in its character. Some reports have it that 26 Million People have hit the streets over the past few months. 95 of people agree that we need to achieve some form of reform of our policing system. A majority of people, more than 70 , believe that our movement isjust, and more than 70 of people, when asked about the murder of george floyd, recognise that that is an example of systemic racism. So i think we have hit a breaking point, we have hit a threshold, and we are in a very rare, maybe 50 year moment in our freedom struggle, where a majority of americans, which includes not just black americans but all americans, and we have seen the people on the streets have been a multiracial tapestry of people dedicated to justice for black lives, desire a society where black people are treated as full citizens, and this movement isnt simply charity for black people, it is a recognition that we should live in a just and democratic society, and all people have a stake in that. All right, morris. Iam donald trump now, and im telling you that i have improved School Choice. If you are a black parent in any neighbourhood, you can send your black child to the best school that is around. Funding for black colleges. I am the guy he was bringing in funding for those classic black colleges, permanent funding. I classic black colleges, permanent funding. I am the guy who is bringing infunding. Funding. I am the guy who is bringing in funding. Criminal justice reform. I did that. Joe guidant is the guy who brought in the joe biden guidant is the guy who brought in the joe biden is the guy guidant is the guy who brought in the joe biden is the guy who brought in the legislation that has incarcerated so many African American men. And unemployment is the lowest it has been for black people under my administration than under any other. So what do you say to that . Number one, some of those assertions are counterfactual. So a lot of the assertions that trump makes about the economy, that requires us to just suspend the fact that over the past few months, we are living in depression Level Economics for working people, and generally, if america has a cold, black america has the flu, so generally, black folks have twice the Unemployment Rate of the average. Secondly, i think itjust flies rate of the average. Secondly, i think it just flies in rate of the average. Secondly, i think itjust flies in the face of everything we know about donald trump. This is the person that called for the execution of the exonerated five, formerly the central park five, black children who were wrongfully accused of rape in the 1980s. This is a person who has been documented as a developer who did not want black people to live in his developments, and this isafamily live in his developments, and this is a family that has a history of racial animus against black people when it comes to their developments. This is somebody who has a very deep and long history of racial animus, and long history of racial animus, and somebody who is aligned with the worst elements of the ultra far right and White Nationalists, and the fact that he has one or two marginal or one or two symbolic. Asa marginal or one or two symbolic. As a proud graduate of howard university, i am offended that he would try to use historically black colleges and universities and any sort of symbolic gesture towards hbcus as somehow arguing that. He recently said that he is the greatest president for black folks since abraham lincoln. I mean, that is outlandish. 0k, it is outlandish. Good to talk to you. Thank you for your analysis and perspective on all of this. Thanks very much indeed, morris mitchell, National Director of the working families party. We will nowjoin another guest, the Reverend Richard william barbara, who is a well known figure in america, and the keynote speaker at the naacps 2020 america, and the keynote speaker at the naacps 2020 virtual march in washington. Richard william barber. Thanks forjoining us. Can you sum up thanks forjoining us. Can you sum up the importance of this march today, 50 some years after the original march on washington . Well, a lwa ys original march on washington . Well, always when you look at these moments, you look at them as part of a continuum, the continuing of the struggle and continuing to fight for this nation to become a more perfect union. I would say, though, this nation to become a more perfect union. Iwould say, though, part this nation to become a more perfect union. I would say, though, part of what we have to do today and part of i will try to do in the keynote tonight is to remind us of the 1st of march. Too often, we take it away from this real radicalism, and we speak about how we forget about how the first match was about more than one issue. And so is todays. It is multiracial. It was a march that said, we refuse to believe that the great vaults of this country are bankrupt. It was a march on which john lewis was challenging kennedy ona john lewis was challenging kennedy on a piece of legislation and saying it did not go far enough, because it did not take care of the sharecropper who lost his farm whenever he tried to vote, and it did not take care of the maid who made 5 a week in a household that made 5 a week in a household that made 500,000 a year. And it was also a march that signalled that the whirlwind of revolt would continue, and that people should notjust see what happened 57 years ago as a time for letting off steam. In a real sense, today, we have to realise we are dealing with something called necropolitics, affecting black, brown and white people. The death by police is one aspect of it, one ugly. Police is one aspect of it, one ugly, horrendous aspect of it, when we see the state killing people, and see it on camera. But the other reality is that before covid, 700 people were dying a day from property, and black people are 61 . 61 of black people in this country are poor and low wealth, and 700 people dying a day from poverty on low wealth. Thousands of people die every yearfrom on low wealth. Thousands of people die every year from the denial of health care, and millions of African Americans, but also, 87 million americans, but also, 87 million americans were uninsured or underinsured before covid 19. Now it is another 27 million added to those ranks. What we are really dealing with, and the same thing happened in 1957, that necropolitics, the politics of who decides who lives and who dies, and marches like this ought to signal not that the march is not an end, it cannot be. It is a signal we will continue to fight for this nation to be true to its promises, to establish justice and most of all to be about life and, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people. Early 50s when there was talk of trying to get a march on washington. , there was an attempt on the part of African American civil rights leaders to exclude particularly young white marchers because of the fear that the whole movement might be branded as communists. How much of the fear is that today given the charge from the Republican Convention just this week that the marchers in a lot of these protests around the country following the deaths and injuries meted out by White Police Officers on pac man is the result of agitation from the result of agitation from the left . The language we see and a false claim of riots creating the violence and that sounds just likejohn patterson who was the governor of alabama in 1961 when he said that the Freedom Fighters were the real menace to society. That they were stirring up the people and the ones causing the ku klux klan to do what they did. That old scare tactics, communism, they try to put that on civil rights leaders, mccarthyism constantly coming up, but the reality is there has never been a Movement Forjustice in this country that was not multiracial. Im an little bothered sometimes when people say were finally seeing multiracial. Thats not true. The Abolition Movement was multiracial, the Reconstruction Movement in the south between 1868 and 1890 when we had fundamental transformation of this country was multi racial. Early Union Movement was multiracial, not imperfection but it was. The social gospel movement, rights movement, the movement in North Carolina that pushed back against extremism in the State Government before we, me too movement, sunrise movement, black lives matter is, multiracial. The campaign we lead that had 3 Million People for a digital march online when we focus on poor people, 3 Million Peoplejoined us, it was multiracial because the reality is in this country we have five interlocking injustices to address. Systemic racism in all of its forms, including black people and latinos, indigenous people, systemic poverty, 1a0 Million People living in poverty, and low wealth in this country, 61 people work everyday without a living wage, ecologically devastation, a Million People get up every morning, denial of health care, millions of people denied health care in the richest nation in the world. The only nation, 25 nations of the richest in the world who do not offer universal health care. The war economy where we spent 800 billion a year on war. Less than 16 cents of every discretionary dollar on education, infrastructure and health care and then this narrative of religious nationalism we saw trump and mike pence try to play. Basically they are equating god with the flag and god with republicanism and racism and god with people who carry guns and god with people who hate gave people and god with people who, these are interlocking injustices and the true, king said at the end of his life poverty, racism and militarism we re poverty, racism and militarism were the three issues and today there are five interlocking injustices what has to happen is even the death of george floyd and Breonna Taylor, we have to broaden it that this is about those deaths but again it is about the neck row politics and the way in which policies cause death in this society which we live in. You are talking about unnecessary wholesale change in American Society with what you describe as interlocking injustices. It has always been necessary. But people have never just has always been necessary. But people have neverjust what for freedom but says that citizenship and equality alongside black and white people and thats why when we see what trump is, i could go down everything he said and done and unpack it and prove its a lie. What we need is, our democracy is under threat and we have to show that racism is not just and we have to show that racism is notjust against black people, racism is targeted at black people but hull hurts all people. Racist Voter Suppression is targeted at black people but when the white vote black what is suppressed it suppresses the white women vote, the poor folk vote which is why we are organising a campaign because once people get elected through racist Voter Suppression, then the people that use race to get elected once they are elected black health care, living wage and hurt everybody. Thats an important point you made, the injustice you have outlined particularly with Voter Suppression is an injustice that affects all colours. Do you think that the Democratic Party for instance underjoe biden is making enough of that . Because when we hear about Voter Suppression, it always i suspect, begins in the mind of people to feel like simply the denigration of African Americans. But in fact it has a much Wider Application and do you think that is being pointed out enough by the leadership of the Democratic Party . One of the things the Poor Person Campaign was saying no, it has never been and that is part of the problem and reason we continue to deal with theseissues reason we continue to deal with these issues because we do not deal with that interlocking injustice and we do not chemical people. In this movement we are working hard at bringing poor black and white people together and brown and asian people because that is the real transformation, the only way to expand the electorate. We did a report a few weeks ago called unleashing the power and it showed there we re the power and it showed there were 37 million poor and low wealth people who did not vote in 2016. 100 wealth people who did not vote in 2016. 100 Million People did not, 37 million more poor and low wealth, many of them did not vote because Voter Suppression they could not get off work and had never heard their issues, poverty, democrats or republicans talk about poverty and low wealth. Republicans tend to racialised poverty and they never had that issue. Reports show you can change the electorate from the top of the ticket to the down, if between one and 19 of poor and low wealth people vote. In those states you can do that are Voter Suppression states. 0ne are Voter Suppression states. One of the geniuses of doctor king and the thing we have to do today is to begin to teach people and old adage i was taught by my grandmother who said if you scratch a lion you find a thief, you scratch racist you will find a thief. That is the key, that is where we bring together what black, white and brown people and to a nswer white and brown people and to answer your question know but i think it will start because people are starting to understand that racism connected to poverty and other injustices are threats to this democracy. One very quick final point. You are a reverend speaking before a march 0n washington. Are you feeling any pressure . A lot of pressure in terms of the people and from the it is to resistjust one issue and to help folks understand these interlocking injustices that require an intersectional pushback for the fundamental shifting and saving of this country. We will end it there, good luck with the speech later on today and many thanks forjoining us. Thank you. Thank you so much. God bless. Lets go back, one speaker at the podium, the very spot doctor Martin Luther king 50 odd years ago gave his famous eye have a dream speech. Lets listen to this particular speech. Demands for real justice. Demands for humanity. Demands for accountability, demands for an end to poverty, demands for an end to poverty, demands for an end to racism andi demands for an end to racism and i are living witness as the youngest black state legislator in kentucky to the first one yet i did stand up against Mitch Mcconnell, i am a person thatis Mitch Mcconnell, i am a person that is ready for this moment. We are built for the work we must do. And if we come together, all of us, if waste united, if we marched together, if we bend that arc together, theres nothing we cant do there as no mountain we cannot move and there is no root of racism we cannot pull up. So we have got to do it right now. We have got to do it right now. We have got to do it yesterday so we have definitely got to do it now. And i stand here as a young man in the legacy of a giant, congressman john lewis who said 57 years ago words that still ring true right now. We have to lift our voice together and say to america, wa ke together and say to america, wake up wake up, america before we can stop, we cannot quitand we before we can stop, we cannot quit and we cannot be patient. Let us win together, let us fight together, lets transform our future. Fight together, lets transform ourfuture. Breonna taylor, i am representing you right now. Thank you all. A powerful speech there, Mitch Mcconnell is in a tough senate race in kentucky so Charles Becker from the Democratic Party. Representative in that. Lets talk to Kate Whitehead who is the associate professor of African American studies at university in maryland and joys me from baltimore. Good to talk to you. Thanks to being with us. Some up for us the importance of todays event in your mind. This is a monumental moment, coming 57 years after the first march 0n washington when we were fighting forjobs. My when we were fighting forjobs. My father was at that march and there was a sense from doctor king, john lewis, the other leaders assembled, that this was the moment we had to change the country. They were told then and charged with going back home and working in your own community. If you look at the landscape in 1963, the landscape looks familiar to where we are now. Racial protests happening, Police Brutality and this is a moment to say it has not been settled yet, it has not been solved yet, it has not been solved yet, once and for all it must end. I am going to come back to you, we will go back to washington and here the latest speakers who have taken the stadium. Its time to invest in communities and it is time to invest in historically black coueges invest in historically black colleges and universities. Cheering. Because we deserve notjust half a dollar. Applause because we deserve, we dont deserve just half a dollar, we dontjust deserve the quarter on the dollar. We deserve the whole dollar. Doctor king spoke about the cheque that bounced in the bank ofjustice. And we have come to let the teller now at the bank that this cheque better not bounce. Because we will march and we will fight. Because that is what we deserve. In the words of doctor king enclosing, we come to cash the cheque and letters willing to demand the riches of freedom and security ofjustice. Thank you. Nojustice. And security ofjustice. Thank you. No justice. No and security ofjustice. Thank you. Nojustice. No peace that was representative of the National Action network which is the organisation which helps organise todays event in washington. Led by the reverend al sharpton who will be giving a keynote speaker later on today. Lets return now, are you there . Thank you for hanging on. We thought we would cross over to washington and get the very latest from the speaker there. What did the march 1963 achieve . As i am watching it with my sons, and i am on the phone back and forth with my father who is watching in south carolina, in 1963, the idea was that there was going to be some work that was going to be some work that was going to change to provide morejobs, more economic freedom, more transformation in our communities, it was going to be a rising tide. If you think about 1963 and the march it was only one month later in september that we had the bombing of the 16th St Baptist Church which killed four little girls. Gfk was assassinated by november, the most racist, the most vile and most gfk. 0f the civil the goal was to take the movement and change it, what we saw was that there was going to bea saw was that there was going to be a bigger mountain we would have to move and it was only going strong and deep and more entrenched and not allow the change to come forward. I think it motivates people, and excited people, ithink it motivates people, and excited people, i think it concerned people and in terms of the real change that needs to be done, we are still doing it today. Even though kaye the Civil Rights Act came out of the events in washington. Even though the Voting Rights act camea though the Voting Rights act came a little bit after that, African Americans are still having to ask for equality and parity with white americans. What went wrong in between . Its what went wrong in between . Its interesting because that is the question i teach about in my classroom. When you take a look at what the policy and practice and procedure was you would think the changes that we re would think the changes that were being fought for in 1963 would have been achieved. You mention the Civil Rights Act, having a black president that on paper you would think the changes have happened but it was in 1967 that doctor king when he gave his speech at sta mford when he gave his speech at stamford spoke about one america where there was opportunity and then there was the other america, dealing with the other america, dealing with the pressures of the ghetto, poverty, militarism, the ghetto of having our communities and infrastructure fall apart in our streets and he was talking about how to bring those two americans together. That was in 1967. It was 68 the Committee Said we are two societies, that the battle we are fighting is not just about laws and procedures, it is about the hearts and minds, that is what were talking about because when you talk about the individual acts of racism its not because on paper it says black folks are not equal, it does not say that on paper, it says we are equal, it says we are supposed to be able to tap into this american dream, its the individual acts of racism stopping best. How do you explain the 2013 decision by the court that if you are a district that has anywhere in america that has a history of Voter Suppression, that you do not have to get the federal right to change voting procedures . So you can have a history of Voter Suppression anywhere in america and yet you can change voting procedures without having to go to the federal authorities. That is from the Supreme Court. How do you explain that . Which by the way nullified one of the central tenets of the Civil Rights Act of 196a. Central tenets of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. And they have been fundamentally working to undermine that act and the Voting Rights act with the ongoing Voter Suppression. Its interesting because the Supreme Court is a body made up of individuals. Thats the point im talking about. Individuals are sent to power and go there with the implicit bias with the explicit bias with the racism, with the White Supremacy that the then move to enact policies and laws and practices that work to undermine the work that came out of 1963. People think it is just about voting for one person, voting against donald trump, it is not. It is about that person in for putting other people in power whose agenda doesnt line up with this country needs to move. Doesnt do start in school . To start with education, doesnt it . No one is born a racist, no one is born racist. Its about education, surely this is where this has to begin . I think its two things. Yes, education but children do not start school until they are seven years old, even then its a kindergarten situation, it must start in the home. Who is the essential teacher from 0 7 years old . If the parent and what they allow into the house. Its what comes on the tv, netflix, its about all the ways we teach whose lives matter even before children get to first grade. So it does not just children get to first grade. So it does notjust art and skill, it does notjust art and skill, it has to start sooner than that. Were talking about raising a generation in a different way and you cannot wait till they get into school to start teaching around equality and justice. To start teaching around equality and justicelj mentioned this to one of a guest earlier that if i was donald trump and i am talking to you now and i will talk about School Choice, the fact African American families can send their children to a greater range of schools, talk about permanent funding for historical black colleges, i would talk about criminal justice reforms. That i brought in as donald trump. I would talk about record low levels about unemployment. How do you a nswer about unemployment. How do you answer those charges coming from a man that so many people do claim as racist . I think the claim that donald trump is racist and a white supremacist is founded in Donald Trumps policies that go back to 1973 but when he talks about School Choice, i would but when he talks about School Choice, iwould point but when he talks about School Choice, i would point to individual examples of cities like baltimore, where we have School Choice and still have Public Schools that are not getting the proper funding, its not about moving your child to a different school, its about having the infrastructure to support the movement that you are trying to ta ke movement that you are trying to take place. People talk about hbcus, push through the legislation, through congress to have that 255 million put forward , to have that 255 million put forward, 85 million which went hbcus for something that was in place before donald trump, yes he signed that back to work for hpcfunding he signed that back to work for hpc funding proceeded donald Trump Presidency as he talks about criminal justice Trump Presidency as he talks about criminaljustice reform i would push back a talk about the ways in which donald trump is an individual and the corporation has worked against criminal Justice Corporation has worked against criminaljustice reform. You can sign off but we also know that this system itself in the mass industrial prison complex is racist and works against people of colour and if i had a conversation with donald trump to sit down with him i would probably start with covid 19, start with 5. 8 Million People being infected and him calling ita being infected and him calling it a lie. 18 7000 dead because you did not take the step. Thats what i would do if i had a conversation with donald trump. We can talk about hbcus, lets talk about black folks disproportionately impacted by covid 19. Disproportionately impacted by covid19. Ok we will leave it there, one. Very good to talk to you, thank you forjoining us to you, thank you forjoining us in giving your perspective. Kaye whitehead. Thank you. Were going to listen in at washington, the reverend doctor franklin richardson, chairman of the National Action network. Calla ble of the National Action network. Callable friends because this will be sad if we fail to bring out the vote on three november. It will be mockery if we do not deliver ourselves to the polls. This will be a disgrace if we fail to engage resources to deliver on our own behalf and our forefathers and mothers who lay in the cemeteries will want to turnover in their graves if we fail to deliver on this moment and grasp what they have fought for. God bless you, lets go, lets get this done we are able, we are powerful, use the code that is on the screen that talks about the black church, 75 votes, 75, all of us must be engaged. God bless you and i look forward to seeing you in the near future at the victory celebration. God bless you. Chairman of the National Action network, one of the organisations that has helped to organise this march 0n washington. The National Action network of course led by the reverend al sharpton. I will go back to you kaye, if you canjoin will go back to you kaye, if you can join me will go back to you kaye, if you canjoin me and i was really struck by what that last speaker doctor richardson said, he said this will be a mockery if we do not deliver ourselves to the polls come november third and we heard michelle 0bama speak recently about one of the saddest moments of her husbands presidency which was the fact that African Americans didnt come out to vote in off year elections, elections for congress and the senate. Essentially new capping barack 0bama while he was in the white house. Why doesnt that happen . We are trying to find a way to give people excited about what you call the off year elections. People tend to rally behind the president and get excited about who is running for president without realising an understanding or reconciling themselves with the fact that themselves with the fact that the president does not act alone. You have to have people in power on both the National Level and you have to have state level officials and local officials if you want to see change. So there is a different way we rallying people to the ballot box this year even in the midst of a Global Pandemic or if you are an African American, as endemic because we have points of hostility but getting people to understand that the president doesnt work or act alone. So we look at what happened coming out of the presidency of 0bama which i know people were very excited about, how do we take that lesson and not repeat the m ista kes we that lesson and not repeat the mistakes we madethat it is hard and we are trying to get people excited. Its not just and we are trying to get people excited. Its notjust about saying my vote doesnt matter, im so disgusted i am not going to participate, it is about realising the power of your vote going all the way down the ballot, not just voting vote going all the way down the ballot, notjust voting for the president ial party but who is going to represent you on every level and what is happening in your city. You see it is hard but it is fundamental. Health ca re but it is fundamental. Health care reforms passed with barack 0bama with a Democratic Congress in 2008, 2009. The criminal Justice Congress in 2008, 2009. The criminaljustice changes that we saw in the mid 90s which have incarcerated so many African American men, were the result of a Republican Congress under a democratic president. It is fundamental that African Americans get out and vote in congressional elections. This has got to be the key to any change in how African Americans might be perceived in society, isnt it . It is, and that is why we are doing the teaching. I think one of the ways in which we fail is that we do not have proper civics being taught in schools. Some people do not know that, some people dont realise i voted for the president but i was no doubt they are voting for my representative. In fact i dont know who my representative as soy dont know what is happening with that, without understanding and recognising that one or two people doesnt change the country, you have to have the support of the people who are actually passing the laws, understanding the tree branches are therefore, who is it that enforces, interprets the law, who makes the law and why have i got to mature the person who is enforcing the law, the president , is the person who will putjudges and who interpret the law. Who do you wa nt interpret the law. Who do you want taking a look at the constitution and laws and determining whether or not they work for you or against you . We are doing that proper teaching, all kind of get out the vote rally, talk about it on my radio show every day, its about knitting should people are educated. I will say this, though, people talk about the donald Trump Presidency, one good thing that happened, people became more involved in what is happening in politics. People started to realise under donald trump that my failure to vote, my failure to stay engaged has resulted in where we are now so now i engaged has resulted in where we are now so now i must be all and on the selection. We saw that coalition in 1963, religious leaders, civil rights leaders of course including doctor Martin Luther king, john lewis and so on, and also the trade unions. Is there a need for a broader Coalition Today . A modern Coalition Today, to bring about change . And i am talking about sports stars, entertainers, those people who downed tools effectively, tennis rackets and basketballs and footballs and whatever, a few days ago, in protest of what happened to jacob blake. Do we need to see a more concerted effort on those African Americans who have done well, to get involved in this full process . I want to answer that in two ways. You mention doctor king, you talked about john lewis, i want to make sure we include the name of the president of the National Council of legal women because black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party and play a major part in how the election is swaying in the second part which is interesting which is the burden of blackness in this country. But we think about celebrities that are right that have never asked to take on the additional burden of trying to change this country. They star in movies, live in their island, dont have to be involved in the work to change the country. We want athletes, entertainers, writers, we want you to not just entertainers, writers, we want you to notjust do your craft but you must help us fight this battle and in some ways, that is part of the burden, i can just live my life. I actually have to always be gauged and if iam not have to always be gauged and if i am not engaged im questioning the fact im not engaged but if i am white in this country, no one has ever asked me why im not engaged in helping to change. You can talk to be about my craft, i appreciate the athletes getting involved, i was happy they stood up and appreciate the entertainers. Those who have the means to engage in that type of protest and can make a stand iron courage them to do so. Thank you so much for that. This is the situation in washington. We will bring you the pictures there. The very latest there from the speakers at the march 0n washington. You are watching bbc news. This is bbc news imjane hill. The headlines at 5pm. A haulier, ronan hughes, pleads guilty to the manslaughter of 39 people who were found dead in a lorry in essex last october. 0n the anniversary of Martin Luther kings i have a dream speech large crowds have gathered in washington for a civil rights demonstration. And heres the scene in Washington Well bring you the speeches and coverage of that march in the next hour. Donald trump formally accepts the republican nomination for novembers president ial election, calling himself the candidate of law and order. Good afternoon, and welcome to bbc news well be back with events in washington shorty, where large crowds have gathered for a civil rights demonstration. But first, a lorry driver from County Armagh has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 39 migrants who were found dead in a container lorry in essex last october. Ronan hughes, whos a0, appeared at the old bailey this afternoon lets at the old bailey this afternoon go straight to the Sangita Myska is at the old bailey for us. Well, he arrived in court dressed in a blue jumper well, he arrived in court dressed in a bluejumper in well, he arrived in court dressed in a blue jumper in trousers. Well, he arrived in court dressed in a bluejumper in trousers. He arrived only to confirm his name. Then Justice Sweeney asked him, arrived only to confirm his name. ThenJustice Sweeney asked him, he of course was the judge, he asked him to stand up in the dock, then in court, 12 of the old bailey, we heard the names of those 39 migrants, including eight women and 215 year old boys read out one after the other. Each time, the charge of manslaughter was read out. At that point, running hughes only spoke to say the word, guilty. I want to just say the word, guilty. I want to just say that running hughes is the second person to admit his part in the deaths of these 39 migrants. In an earlier hearing, mo robinson also pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Let me quickly remind you as to what happened. It was in october last year that 39 migrants were found deadin year that 39 migrants were found dead in the back of the trailer which was parked in a lorry parked in grays in essex. What we know is that that container had crossed the English Channel in belgium over to the essex port of perth fleet. We then know that within 2a hours, Ambulance Services in essex were called to the scene. It was at that point that ambulance workers entered that trailer and found the 39 migrants dead. Police say that it was that investigation that then launched into a Major Investigation to people smuggling across multiple borders involving multiple suspects. What it shows is that Desperate Measures to which people who are poorin measures to which people who are poor in other parts of the world will go to in order to arrive in britain to what they believe will be a better life. Thank you very much. Just to give you a news update thats come through regarding coronavirus, because we are just hearing that some lockdown restrictions are going to be lifted. We arejust restrictions are going to be lifted. We are just hearing that the lockdown restrictions will be lifted and parts of greater manchester, lancashire and west yorkshire. The department of health and social care saying that those particular restrictions in those area will be lifted because of the rates of the virus have decreased in those areas. That is all we know at the moment. I dont know whether that takes effect immediately, we havent got any more detail on that, and we dont have a timescale. That is greater manchester, lancashire and west yorkshire. Restrictions on little more as well just yorkshire. Restrictions on little more as welljust coming through, restrictions on two households mixing which were introduced last month are to be lifted, and this applies to bolton, stockport, trafford, burnley and hind burn. Thats just coming in trafford, burnley and hind burn. Thatsjust coming in in trafford, burnley and hind burn. Thats just coming in in the last few moments. So, those restrictions on two households mixing are also going to be lifted. So, little piece of information coming through all the time now from the department of health as and when we get more detail, we will of course bring that to you. An of good news for the various areas listed there. A Government Campaign will be launched next week to emphasise the benefits of going back to the workplace. It will urge employers to reassure their staff that its safe to return by highlighting the measures theyre taking to make workplaces covid secure, and the benefits of working in an office environment. Labour says it could force people to choose between theirjob and their health. The risk to children of dying from covid 19 is vanishingly rare according to the Worlds Largest study so far into young patients with the virus. The report, published in the british medicaljournal, did find that black children, those who are obese and very young babies do have a slightly higher risk. 0ur Health Correspondent Anna Collinson has the details. After months away from the classroom, some schools around the uk are already back. Most start next week. Now, a comforting message for parents. The Worlds Largest study into the coronavirus has found the need for children to have hospital treatment is extremely small. I think the most Important Message from this paper is that children make up a tiny proportion of severe covid in the uk and that death with covid in children is vanishingly rare, and i would like to say that these findings are really reassuring. The study by the british medical journal looked at 70,000 patients admitted to hospital in the uk. Just 651 were children. Six of those died and all had serious Underlying Health problems. Children of black ethnicity, those who are obese and very young babies have a slightly higher risk. But the vast majority of children have mild or no symptoms at all. Tracy mcguires daughter peyton was born prematurely. She was diagnosed with covid 19 when she was just three weeks old. Luckily for us she didnt show any symptoms, and therefore she actually seemed to get through it fine, and it went from a positive test, to the next one was negative, and at that point in time we were just so grateful that we managed to get through the next hurdle, as we saw it. The most recent daily government figures show there were more than 1,500 covid cases in the uk, the highest since mid june. An increase in testing partly explains the rise. New figures from the 0ns suggest infections are levelling off, with one in 1,900 people estimated to have had it in england. Data suggests parts of tayside in scotland have one of the highest rates of infections in the uk. Other areas that were previously a concern are appearing to subside. Throughout this year, scientists have been racing to learn about how our immune system responds to coronavirus. Now, 17 Research Centres in the uk are attempting to find out how long immunity lasts, why some people suffer more than others, and why some are asymptomatic. Understanding this will help fight the virus. The antibody response does develop in almost every patient. It appears to wane, to weaken, and that is causing some concern, that it can decrease by perhaps 10 every month, whereas the cellular immune response may last for much longer. And if we look at the historical precedent of the sars epidemic from 2002, cellular immunity lasted for ten years. A vaccine is the key to defeating covid 19, but one is not expected before christmas. The government has announced it wants Health Professionals to be trained to administer a vaccine so a lot of people can get it very quickly if and when its available. Speed is key for health and economic reasons, so it has also been proposed that red tape should be cut to prevent any delays. But as schools return, the focus is now turning to adults and their behaviour. Illegal gatherings have taken place across the uk over the summer, and there are fears more rules will be broken over the bank holiday weekend. If infections do rise again, the government is adamant schools will be the last to close. Anna collinson, bbc news. It is nine minutes passed by. As promised, we will return to washington, dc with more of the speakers at that major event to commemorate the 1963 march on washington. Lets head over to washington, dc. Representatives has not got through the republican led senate. So, that legislation will languish in there. Dr Keisha N Blain is an associate professor of history at university of pittsburgh. She joins me live from cambridge, massachusetts. It is good to see you, thanks very much indeed forjoining us. What are your thoughts on the idea of this march try to echo what happened in 1963 . Do you think it can bring about any kind of change . First thanks for having me. I think its really important that eve ryo ne its really important that everyone come together at this Pivotal Moment to continue to demand civil rights that i think in addition to certainly commemorating the 1963 march, this is the moment where we have to insist that once again black lives matter, and we have to demand radical changes when it comes to american policing. And so i think this is a very important moment and it is meaningful to see so many people come out today. And a Cross Section of society it seems out there. A lot of white americans as well as African Americans. How important is that kind of coalition . Its very important andi coalition . Its very important and i think over the last couple of weeks, weve been seen throughout the uprisings in the us and across the globe how important it is to have diverse groups of people coming together to point out the problem of Police Violence and brutality and anti black racism. At the end of the day, black people cannot be the only ones shouldering the responsibility of demanding changes when it comes to policing or changes written barge in us society. All americans have to demand it and frankly all people should demand equal rights for all groups so i think seeing people from various backgrounds is truly important and truly important in 1963, it is important in 1963, it is important today. How do you think today might play into the events in washed and put into the election race . I think it will matter significantly. 0ne of the important aspects of these kinds of moments is that it raises public awareness. By now i think everyone should be very clear about the challenges that are facing black people in the United States. But i suspect that there are still people who might still not get it and people who might still not get itandi people who might still not get it and i think a gathering like this gathering today provides an opportunity to shed the light on the problems and i hope that it will propel someone who might be ambivalent, might not be so sure if they want to vote this november, i hope that it will encourage them to insist on casting their ballot because it will be important to do so. Thank you forjoining us. We appreciate it, we are going back to the speech is now and we will listen to joyce beatty, vice chair of the congressional black caucus. No more immunity for officers who woke boldly into cell phone cameras as they kill our brothers and sisters. Mandatory data bases, tamir kill our brothers and sisters. Mandatory databases, tamir rice would have lived to see his 18th birthday. A ban on choke holds and no knock warrants. Eric garner and Breonna Taylor would still be alive today. We are pushing to recognise racism asa are pushing to recognise racism as a national crisis. We are fighting forjobs, housing relief, access to capital and a reparations bill. No it was the black man, the others of the Congressional Black Congress who wrote the first step act. Know that it is a powerful black man in leadership who leads thejohn lewis Voting Rights legislation. Demand, demand, demand the senate to pass thejohn 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 reverend al sharpton and the National Action network. For this march and demanding that we get people registered to vote and