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The 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington

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Fifty years ago today, more than 200,000 people came to the nation’s capital for the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.” However, the stated goals of the demonstration were much broader, including “a comprehensive civil rights bill” that would do away with segregated public accommodations; “protection of the right to vote”; mechanisms for seeking redress of violations of constitutional rights; “desegregation of all public schools in 1963”; a massive federal works program “to train and place unemployed workers”; and “a Federal Fair Employment Practices Act barring discrimination in all employment”. (Source)

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King stood at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. (See photos from Life Magazine.) The 1963 march was organized by Bayard Rustin, a key advisor to Dr. King, who helped inform him of the Gandhian philosophy of nonviolence. (Weigh in on a resolution honoring Rustin.)

President Obama reflected on the march in a proclamation:

“Today, we remember that the March on Washington was a demonstration for jobs as well as freedom. The coalition that brought about civil rights understood that racial equality and fairness for workers are bound together; when one American gets a raw deal, it jeopardizes justice for everyone. These are lessons we carry forward — that we cannot march alone, that America flourishes best when we acknowledge our common humanity, that our future is linked to the destiny of every soul on earth.”

The 50th Anniversary March on Washington

Last weekend, several organizations, led by the National Action Network, convened a march on Washington as a “continuation of the efforts 50 years ago.” They called to attention a broader set of issues, listed below, than did Dr. King 50 years ago. POPVOX would like to identify a few bills related to the issues raised during last weekend’s march that are currently being considered by Congress.

Weigh in on these bills and POPVOX will deliver your message to your lawmakers. Please keep in mind that this list is a small sampling of the bills being considered by Congress related to these issues. Visit the POPVOX Bills Page to find more bills.

Jobs & the Economy, Including Unemployment

Voting Rights and Claims of Voter Fraud

  • S 1336 to permit States to require proof of citizenship for registration to vote in elections for Federal office.
  • HR 2829 Restoring Important Voter Eligibility Requirements to States Act: to require an applicant for voter registration for elections for Federal office to affirmatively state that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for voting in such elections as a condition of completing the application, to require States to verify that an applicant for registering to vote in such elections meets the eligibility requirements for voting in such elections prior to registering the applicant to vote.
  • HJR 44 A resolution proposing an amendment to the US Constitution regarding the right to vote.
  • HR 376 Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act: to allow all eligible voters to vote by mail in Federal elections.
  • S 123 Voter Empowerment Act: to modernize voter registration, promote access to voting for individuals with disabilities, protect the ability of individuals to exercise the right to vote in elections for Federal office
  • HR 281 Voter Access Protection Act: to prohibit a state or local election official from requiring an individual to: (1) present a photo identification (or a copy if voting by mail) as a condition for receiving or casting a ballot in any election for federal office, or (2) cast a provisional ballot solely on the grounds that the individual does not present a photo identification at the polling place.

Workers’ Rights

Criminal Justice and Sentencing, Stand Your Ground Laws and Gun Violence

Women’s Rights

  • HR 438 Fair Pay Act: to prohibit discrimination in the payment of wages on account of sex, race, or national origin.
  • HR 377 Paycheck Fairness Act: to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex.

Immigration

LGBT Equality

  • S 815 ENDA: to prohibit the employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • HR 2523 Respect for Marriage Act: To repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and ensure respect for State regulation of marriage.

Environmental Justice Among Minority Communities

Youth, Including Student Loans

  • S 1170 Youth Jobs Act: to provide for youth jobs
  • S 1066 Federal Student Loan Refinancing Act: to allow certain student loan borrowers to refinance Federal student loans.
  • HR 1330 Student Loan Fairness Act: To increase purchasing power, strengthen economic recovery, and restore fairness in financing higher education in the United States through student loan forgiveness, caps on interest rates on Federal student loans, and refinancing opportunities for private borrowers.

Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn’t imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we’re simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.

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