On August 28, 1963, hundreds of thousands of men and women came together in Washington, D.C., for the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The massive turnout and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legendary “I Have a Dream” speech made it a turning point for the nation that led to great and long overdue change.
This week and next, civil rights, women’s and labor leaders who participated in that historic march, as well as those who work today to advance Dr. King’s vision, are paying tribute to that historic day a half century ago and calling attention to the work that still lies ahead.
At the National Partnership, we are proud to be part of this commemoration. We work every day for freedom, justice and equality for all.
To us, that means ending discrimination in all its forms. It means protecting and increasing access to quality, affordable health care, including reproductive health care. It means convincing lawmakers at all levels to take proactive measures to address inequality in the nation’s workplaces. It means making sure that pregnant women aren’t forced out of their jobs, women aren’t discriminated against in wages and promotions, and women of color don’t face discrimination at work, at school or anywhere else. It means family friendly policies in all our workplaces, including paid sick days and paid family and medical leave.
It means protecting every American’s right and ability to live free from discrimination, violence and harassment, and to vote.
This anniversary is a moment to come together and remember the values that make our nation strong, the power of activism, and the need to continue the fight for fairness, equality and justice. Just as the nation did in 1963, we must look to a brighter future and work together to make it happen. The march continues.
