August 28, 2013, marks the 50th Anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This summer East Bay Area youth of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Center join young people from the West Coast to commemorate that historic event with a West Coast Tour entitled: “50th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom: What is America Saying Today?” The delegation of East Bay Area students and staff depart from Oakland and travel from California, through Oregon, and Washington, meeting with educators, community organizations, elected officials, elders, and other organizers of urban and rural communities, and Native American Tribes. They will be joined with youth of Washington State for a large part of the tour. Together, this interracial, intergenerational delegation will visits the O’Dell Education Center in Kent, Washington for nonviolence leadership training. They will also have the honor of hosting and volunteering for a week-long Tribal cultural renaissance taking place at the Quinault Indian Nation, August 1-6. The Quinault Tribe will host 85 canoe paddlers of 56 different Tribal Nations for a week of ceremony, storytelling, traditional singing, food and dance. The students and staff will gather stories of what urban, rural and tribal America is saying about racial relationships, jobs, and freedom today. The delegates will report back to their communities and schools about what they have learned. It was at the March on Washington where Civil Rights luminaries such as Dr. King, Congressman John Lewis, Rev. Ralph Abernathy and others ignited a mass movement that shaped significant Civil Rights victories. This was the day where Dr. King spoke of a day when all people would, “…live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Congresswoman Barbara lee congratulated the youth delegates for their work commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, acknowledging the epic role that March had on race relations in America. “This program is particularly important because it engages our youth. We have seen here at home, and throughout the world, that empowered young people are capable of transforming entire communities. Although tremendous progress has been made since Dr. King’s speech in 1963, there is still much work to be done. Poverty, violence, health care disparities, the achievement gap in our educational system, voter suppression, and many other issues of inequality continue to plague this nation. Just last month, the Supreme Court ruled that a key section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is unconstitutional, thereby gutting a piece of the most effective civil rights legislation ever enacted by congress. The equal and unhampered right to vote is the heart and soul of our democracy, and I ask you to join me and my colleagues in fighting to defend it”. Congresswoman Barbara Lee continues “As Dr. King said, we must demand that America cashes the check written by our forefathers that gives us the complete benefits of freedom and the security of justice. Therefore, I thank the Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Center for its tireless work to instill this continued mission in our youth and community. We cannot relent until our quest for racial and social justice is paid in full” For photo inquiries, interview opportunities or further information, contact Eric Fuller cell 510-978-7286 office 510-434-3988 email [email protected]. About Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center The Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center promotes the principles of nonviolence and offers an environment where young people actively seek peaceful, nonviolent solutions to the difficult challenges we all face in our communities. The Freedom Center serves individuals, organizations, schools and communities in the Greater Bay Area. For more details, visit: mlkfreedomcenter.org.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 21:53:03 +0000
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