The Democratic Party celebrated the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington on Sept. 2 with a march around Allen’s Market in downtown Milledgeville.
The March on Washington was a political demonstration held in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 28, 1963. It was attended by an estimated 250,000 people who supported the civil rights movement and marched in protest of jobs and freedom. Organized by activist Bayard Rustin, The march was led by civil rights leaders James Farmer, Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, A. Philip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, and Whitney Young.
Amongst the many speakers, the event became most well-known for Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. In his speech, King highlighted his dreams of equality and freedom from discrimination.
“One day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” King said.
About 50 attendees for the 60th anniversary march in Milledgeville showed their support for these ideals.
Attendees carried signs reading “Freedom,” “We demand decent housing now!,” “End Voter Suppression,” “Motivate,” and more. At the head of the march, a young black boy carried a sign reading “60th Anniversary of the March on Washington,” with words in red, blue, and black underneath reading in order, equality, freedom, activate, motivate, fairness, down with hate, stop racism, fair elections, and participate. “We march with collective righteousness!” yelled Rev. Dr. Leonard Small, a civil rights and social justice advocate and keynote speaker of the event, before the march began.
As the group marched around the block of Allen’s Market, a man with the microphone would chant a question and the marchers would answer. Their chant was as follows, “What do we want? Freedom! When do we want it? Now! If we don’t get it? Shut it down!” Alongside this chant, several members of the march sang songs, yelled what was written on their posters, and shared prayer.
“The faith that things can be redeemed… has to be reminded to people. We have to remind people that there is a concept that we are the people,” said Small during the program after the march.
In the program, several speakers from the community came forward to speak on varying topics from how to motivate people for the cause to fighting racial injustice and targeting within the school system.
Speakers included Mistress of the Ceremony and Chairwoman of the Baldwin County Board of Commissioners Emily C. Davis, Baldwin County Democratic Party Chairman Quentin T. Howell, Former Washington branch NAACP President Benjamin Dotson, Mayor of Toomsboro Hon.
Joyce Denson, “Faithful Servant” Traci George, President of Black Voters Matter Marion Warren, GCSU Young Democratic Party President Axel Hawkins, Local NAACP Chapter President Cyndee Edwards, and State NAACP President Hon. Gerald Griggs.
“If you don’t have justice, you don’t have anything,” said Warren.
Small spoke as the keynote speaker and closed the program, taking to the stage with five handcuffs in hand to teach about the “key” society needs. He told stories of his grandfather who was born a slave and his own experiences of being arrested and finding God. Relating those struggles to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Small emphasized that a new “key” is needed.
He defined the new key as the mercy that will lock and unlock the “chain of injustice.”
“If you want mercy from God, you have to give mercy to others,” said Small. “Dr. King gave it to us, but we have not used it with proficiency.”
His speech ended with a round of applause and praise. Those gathered prayed in thanks to the civil rights leaders and activists who originally led the march 60 years ago and towards hope for a brighter, free future.