In 1963, the world watched as more than 200,000 people from different walks of life marched on Washington, D.C., in solidarity, against the racial and economic injustices limiting the freedoms of countless Americans.
Those patriots sought justice — not only for persons of color, but for anyone who felt the weight of poverty, underfunded education or government-sanctioned discrimination in services or at the ballot box. Justice for those who saw civil rights accorded to some and brutally stripped from others.
Today marks the 53rd anniversary of that historic March on Washington. We must not only celebrate the beauty and power of unity, but also the importance of continuing the fight for social justice and economic opportunity for all of us. I am proud that Georgia Democrats are part of this fight, but we cannot do it without your help.
I had the extraordinary honor to join the celebration for the 30th March on Washington as a youth speaker. Then, as now, I understood that civil rights is a political struggle. Whether one wants to be a state legislator or the President of the United States, all Americans must be called to account for the part we play in defending our nation’s commitment to the most vulnerable among us — regardless of race, class, or religion.
We cannot afford to allow those who would send us backwards to hold power. And we must continue to mold for ourselves and future generations a nation that refuses to be corrupted by hatred, segregation, and bigotry — ever again.
This November, let’s make sure that we elect leaders up and down the ballot who hold these truths to be self-evident and who reject the convenience of self-gain over the struggle for equality for all. Sign on to say you’re still committed to the fight for freedom and justice.
Stacey Abrams
House Democratic Leader
Democratic Party of Georgia