biden, because he decided to pull out our troops before pulling the civilians. and, and are afghan allies out, and the hundreds of afghan families. the other thing, number two, the problem with kamala harris' wide open border, speaking of covid. they seem to be so concerned about stopping the spread, why are they allowing tens of thousands of illegal migrants knowingly, many of them infected with covid, and sending them to every state in the country. by the way, here is another problem with the border, jesse. they are not vetting or checking people's backgrounds. with this catastrophe in afghanistan, it does not take a smart person to realize, terrorists and people who mean

us harm can easily come through our wide-open border because harris has failed to seal the border, including drug dealers -- >> we will be leaving this program here and take you live to a voting rights rally in washington, d.c.. participants are calling for the passage of federal voting rights legislation. live coverage here on c-span. >> get your knee off of our neck. i said, get your knee off of our neck, and your foot off of our vote. your knee off of our neck, and our foot rush foot off of our board -- out of our vote. georgia already knows how to do it in the heat, so, we marched in the heat. in the heat. because we know we have to go back home, they are stealing our votes every single day. they are trying to kill us every single day.

and we say no, we are sick and tired of being sick and tired and we will not take it anymore. i said, we will not take it no more. i said we will stand up and fight because our democracy is at stake. this is 58 years after martin luther king, and john lewis stood and said let us not do this again, the promissory note was not cashed. in this stage and -- in this day and age, we want -- we have cask -- cash and we wanted now. i say, stand up. we need you all to stay encouraged. this is a reunion, a family reunion. we came to get stronger, we came to work together, we came to organize and mobilize. we are going to keep coming, we are going to keep coming. we are going to stand up and

vote, because that is what we have to do. look, the numbers are on our side. i said the numbers are on our side. we have time, and well we have time we will keep organizing and mobilizing and getting people registered to vote and getting people out to vote. it is against the law in georgia to get about people water when they are standing in line for seven hours. shame! . we need that voiding rights bill passed, the john lewis voting rights bill passed and that needs to pass this week. and if it doesn't, we will keep coming, and we will keep coming, because time is up. we have waited for too long for our freedom, we have waited too long and suppressed our power. we arere the most powerful peope on this earth. we are resilient, we have come

through slavery, jim crow, reconstruction and all of it. 2021, this ain't got nothing on what our ancestors had to do. we are hot and tired but we will ep fighting. when i say stand up you say vote. stand up. vote. be blessed, and stay in love. [applause] ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, kings and queens, right here in the nation's capital and watching around the globe, this is such a significant day in the continental united states and this is why we are here, march on for voting rights, can we say that one more ti, march on for voting rights.

this is somebody really dynamic, we want to do it one more again. one of our nation's youngest leaders, tleek, a recent graduate of north carolina and t state university. and a member of phi beta sigma fraternity inc., in his current capacity at national action network he helped move the organization from demonstrate to legislation. he hopes to inspire other young people, to make being involved with policy the new norm, not just an exception. tightly commit mail and, -- he is the national director of youth and college national action network. can we hear it for this man? ♪

>> no justice. >> no peace. >> i said, no justice. >> no peace. >> i have come by to let you know that democracy is under attack. i said, democracy is under attack. i am going to take you to church if you let me look at your neighbor and tell them that democracy is under attack. in light of what we are seeing across the country, and just around the corner at the sreme court, we saw a decision which further gutted the voting rights act. at this moment, we need to escalate where we are, because

we cannot afford to sit still with where we are. we cannot afford not to have legislation to answer what is clearly not only a legislative but a judicial leaning, on not only voter suppression but voter suspension. you heard me right. i do not know about you, but i cannot seem to understand the limit to early voting. i cannot seem to understand the need for more than one id. i cannot seem to understand the removal of drop p boxes in partisan control. i cannot seem to understand the over 700,000 residents of washington, d.c. not having their voice counted in congress. [applause] so, family, i am clear in this work, i am clear that medgar evers was not murdered on the lawn -- in front of his children so we can hold positions and be in charge. i am clear that samuel hamner

did not say i am sick a tired of being sick and tired. martin luther king was not jailed in alabama, knifed in his chest and shot down in a balcony in memphis so we could bury our heads and seek position and not power. i am clear that john lewis did not get beat over the head walking across the edmund pettus bridge so we can experience symbolism and not the things that we know we deserve. so, i come here today, standing on the shoulders of ida b wells, standing on the shoulders of ella baker, standing on the shoulders of bob modus -- moby -- mode -- moses to sayay that e deserve, demand, and require from the streets to those seats that the united states senate, pass the john lewis voting rights advancement act. that the united states senate passes before the people act. at the united states senate

passes d.c. state -- statehood. at the united states statehood -- that the united states senate ends the filibuster. we cannot wait and we will not wait. so i have come by to let you know if you've gotten comfortable, we have not yet arrived. we have not yet arrived. i say, we have not yet arrived. we are fighting for generations yet unborn, and there will come a time in our nation's history when our children's children will read about this moment and i ask you this question, senators, and we ask you this question, senators, what side of history will you stand on? i implore you this question, will you do what is right and necessary because the soul of our democracy is dependent on it. no justice. >> no peace. >> all power to the people.

♪ >> i know that -- i know i am stating the obvious that it is hot. but, let me say to those of you, 58 years ago it was hotter than it is today. 58 years ago it was hotter than it is today. am i right? my man, there. fos who are in the reflection pool, they had their feet in the water, probably half of the

marchers were in the shade, but they werere here. and, you are here, but it was a lot hotter. not temperature wise, but it was a lot hotter in congress. because, you had dixiecrats and reactionary republicans who did not want civil rights bills to pass. and, a year later, they certainly did not write the vote -- want the voting rights act to pass. those same speeches that were delivered 58 years ago could be delivered today. as hot as it is today we must still put the heat on, -- heat on the members of congress. we introduce now the president of the national action network michigan chapter and the pastor

of king solomon missionary baptist church, the historic pulpit where martin luther king jr., malcolm x, thurgood marshall, ts boone and a host of americans -- america's leaders use that pulpit as a stage to spread a progressive message of change. brothers and sisters, put your hands together for the reveille -- reverend charles williams. rev. williams: no justice. >> no peace. rev. williams: no justice. >> no peace. rev. williams: what do we want? when do we want it? >> now. rev. williams: take your hand off of your vote, take of your hand -- take your hand off of my vote.

take your hand. everybody make some noise. all my life i had to fight and i am not going to stop fighting now, we ain't going to stop fighting now, we had to fight for the 13th and 14th amendment, 15th, 1964 civil rights in 1965 voting rights. and i will tell you right now, in 2021 we will keep this fight alive over our bodies. we will not allow them to take our vote. we will not allo them to ignore our cause. senators and congressional representatives, they are putting together trillions of dollars that they can spend in their district, while at the very same time the people who sent them there, voters are

being disenfranchised. we are standing up today and saying hell no, we will -- we want our vote. and so, we will not stop. we marched last year, and we will march this year and we will march tomorrow, and next year, and we will march until justice comes by any means necessary. so, we come with a simple message, and that message is the message that dr. king left us a long time ago. if you will accept it you will do something to transform the conditions in america. i am not worried no matter how dark it might be, no matter how difficult it might be, i mailed it -- i know that it is true that truth is on the scaffold and yet the scaffold sways the future. keeping watch above us all. william was right, truth crushed to the earth will rise again.

the bible is right, you will reap what you sow. if you do not give the children of god the right to vote, we will keep fighting. take your hand -- >> off of my vote. rev. williams: no justice. >> no peace. ♪ al b. sure: no justice. >> no peace. al b. sure: in the 1960's, jim crow kept black americans away from the ballot boxes and this discriminatory law of the past is making a significantly stronger come back all over our country and that is why we are

here today, just as dr. martin luther king was here on august 20 eighth, 1963. so please, tell congress that the time is always right to do us right. let the church say amen. >> amen. al b. sure: be sure to visit nationalactionnetwork.net. if you are a silent you are a bigger part of the problems. let the church say amen, one more time. >> amen. al b. sure: serving as a houston naacp president and pastor of the community of faith church, bishop james dixon. ♪

bishop dixon: good afternoon, brothers and sisters. my name is james dixon from houston texas -- houston, texas. before we start we want to give it up for the craziest members of the texas delegation who broke quorum fighting for rights all across the united states of america. [applause] , on, give it up, they left their families, businesses, homes, children, and they are eight weeks out of the texas legislature refusing to support corruption in state government, give it up. and we want all other date

legislatures to follow this example, because all over the united states of america, we are fighting to protect democracy and to preserve the right to vote, give a big shout foror the patriots of democracy. i want to thank god for this opportunity and thank reverend al sharpton, martin luther king iii, let us give it up for leaders and organizers, national at work -- action network, all of the volunteers, my name is james dixon, i lead a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization called polish democracy forward. i have been the president of the houston naacp. our national president was here, i have been part of naan for 30

plus years. i would like to thank martin luther king iii for his family's commitment to keeping justice moving forward in the united states, let us give it up for the king family. [applause] and, rev. al sharpton, who is fearless and his leadership has made it possible for so many of the least, last, and left out to be included and empowered, let us it up for our leader, dr. rev. al sharpton. [applause] brothers and sisters, today, 58 years ago, reverend dr. martin luther king jr. led this march on this historic ground. and, he thought until he died -- fought until he died. i want to announce today that we have come back to washington 58

years later, still demanding the same thing, that he shed his blood for in 1968. today, we have come because 58 years ago, dr. king invited all of america to the table of brotherhood. and today we come to announce that there are still too many empty seats at the table. there are empty seats at the table, because there are brothers and sisters that we have who refused to calm and reason together, to talk about how to preserve this democracy. they do not want to sit with us. and, have the real conversation, the real conversation about voting rights. the real conversation about critical race theory. the real conversation about mass incarceration based on color and

economic status. they do not want to come to the table to have the real conversation. i am asking you to join us in texas and around the nation, inviting all of them to the table. i want you to shout with me, come to the table. say it again. come to the table. but what if -- the word of god says, and let us reason together. let us have a real conversation about what is wrong with these 400 plus laws and bills that you are pushing across the united states of america, that will lock out black and brown folks, poor folks and elder folks in the votes of those who are disabled, let us come to the table. let us come to the table and discuss why blacks make up 12% of the population but over 40% of the prison population. let us come to the table. let us come to the table because

should not have we marched enough already? could -- should have we not have enough protests already. haven't we spoken out enough already. don't we all understand that all americans deserve the right to vote, and be protected by the government, and from -- shout with me. come to the table. white folk, come to the table. black vote, come to the table. indigenous, come to the table. asians, come to the table. day and straight come to the table. catholic and protestant, come to the table, let us reason together, to pass the john lewis voting rights act and for the people act. when i think about this and i will go to my seat, thinkining f your sacrifices, lot has been shed, that makes the right to vote a sacred right.

because, blood has been shed. we are urging president biden to use your might, and your muscle to fight thend of the filibuster -- fight to end the filibuster yet these bills passed, no excuses, come to e table. this is not a black issue, or a white issue, it is a wrong or right issue, come to the table. we are saying, with your vote, you vindicate the blood of those who died and suffered to give lack photos -- black folk the right to vote. vindicate the vote. vindicate the blood of medgar evers. vindicate the blood of -- indicate the blood of billy robinson. vindicate the blood of john lewis.

vindicate the blood of martin luther king. vindicate the blood of the jew that died on the cross at calvary. stand up with me and shout, come to the table. voting rights, now, though during -- voting rights forever. god bless america, peace. ♪ joe: she was not wiping off

covid-19, she was cooling that mike down. i am getting more and more inspired and again, again, i want us to understand. all of you who have your iphones, and whatever, start streaming because there are millions of folk who are watching, take photographs, and send them. if this was beyonce wearing a diamond, you would have one million whatever, images going on. this is important. and so, look, for folk who could not be here, for people who just for some reason could not make it, and by the way can we all do this if you do not mind.

i would like to have a moment, just a moment of silence for somebody or two people i know would be here. the reverend jeff -- jesse jackson senior, and jackie jackson, and if we could have just a moment of silence and, pray in your way for their recovery and their health. thank you very much. a new generation is on the line and this young ladady represents that generation. it is a family affair when it comes to the sharpton's, they

are all committed, she is an activist, a community organizer, entertainment, media, entrepreneur, podcast host, social media manager and the youngest daughter of reverend al sharpton and dr. kathy jordan's sharpton and she currently serves as the director of the national action network. put your hands together for ashley start -- ashley sharpton. ashley: peace and power, i will share the microphone with our lead rep. >> let us go, clap it up. >> good morning.

good afternoon. i would first like to thank rev. al sharpton and martin luther king the third for convening the -- this march, and allowing me to host space and speak my truth. in quoting the late great dr. king, he said that laws are passed in a crisis mood after a birmingham or a selma, no substantial fervor survives the formal signing of legislation. our birmingham and selma was last year. during a global pandemic when the whole world had stopped but the disease and cancer known as white supremacy was still slithering and killing off of people. and instead of a worldwide demonstration leading to legislation to combat this the d -- the disease, we stacked bml -- we've had bml -- blm on streets. instead of institutions we got

hashtags on instagram. and while i respect the continue efforts to dramatize the shameful conditions that america has constantly put my people in, it is truly not enough. all last year w we have heard mocrats and progressive saying that if you want change we must get trump out of office, and we did just that. and then they said they needed theajority in the senate. we got them just that. so, when will our chance come? when will we get the cancellation of student debt? when will we get the passing of the george floyd justice in policing act. when will the john lewis voting rights a become law? democrats? when will you stand up and do the right thing? no just as? >> no peace. ♪ ashley: peace and power. peace and power. no justice. >> no peace. >> when i first heard --

ashley: when i first heard my father utter those world -- those words i was a little girl and i did not understand the meaning. when i got older and saw what other people did to raise awareness the definition became more and more clear. no justice, no peace meant we will not stop, we will not rest until there is justice for all. there is no shortage of challenges and problems in front of us, for my generation and those younger, if you ever wish that you were alive for the fights in the 1960's and your time is now. everything that our parents and ancestors fought for, many even gave their lives for is on the line and one of the most significanant rights under attak is our fundamental right to vote. they are trying to tell you and i that we caot vote. they are trying to tell us that we should not build. they are openly telling us that they will try to stop us from voting and they are showing us

all that they understand and fear the power of our vote. if your voice and your vote did not matter so much they would not be trying so hard to undermine it. right now there are nearly 400 bills and 48 states being pushed that would suppress the right to vote. this file -- follows years of other repressive laws as well as the supreme court putting the voting rights act. this is why we at the national action network have been fighting so hard for the passage of the for the people act in the john lewis voting rights act. it is inexcusable that both have not been enacted. we must have federal protections when money states are working to undermine our ability to vote. tim anything that young people do not -- young people think -- do not care, too manyeople count isut but isha no. we understand that when voting rights are under attack we stand up. we understand that when one group is oppressed we are all

held back and we know that none of us are free until all of us are free. i spent most of my adult life fighting for equality for women, communities of color, lgbtqia and young people. listening to their voices is important to moving forward. that is why i started the youth huddle that it carrrries the toh from our elders into the battles before us now, those of the faces behind me and many gathered here today. sorry. dr. king said that item is never voluntarily given, it must be demanded by the oppressed. we are here, ancestor king, making our demands. truth crushed ursula -- to earth will rise again, truth is rising. we are watching for marching -- for washington, for true democracy and standing against people in high places. we are here to demand the powers

that be to pass the john lewis bill. black women and young people have to kick trump out and i am appalled that we are still fighting, but i am not tired yet. somebody tell the devil that the children of god have risen out. somebody tell them that the children of david are here. tell -- someone tell the republicans and demand -- democrats that the children are present and we will not turn back. we will not be distracted, we will get that are for our people. dems, we are your backbone. god bless you. i would like to bring on timothy to share some encouragement. [applause] ♪

>> ♪ i don't feel no ways tired, i have come too far from where i started from. oh. nobody told me that the road would be easy, and i do not believe he brought us this far to leave us. take it up from me. i don't feel no no ways tired.

i have come too far from where i have started from. anybody got that testimony today? i said nobody told me that the road, that it would be easy. i do not believe that he brought me this far, i do not believe he brought me this far let me hear you sing. i do not believe he brought us this far. i do not believe he brought us this far -- one more time. i do not believe he has brought

us this far to leave us. ♪ ♪ give it up. [applause] >> please, one more time. what an amazing talent that she is. in the 1920 election, america turned out in record numbers. and now a few selected officials are signing legislation jumping through hoops to make certain that it does not happen again.

while states passed laws intentionally targeting -- targeting black and brown voters we must make our voices heard loud and clear, just as dr. king did in august 28, 1963. let the church say amen, one more time. >> amen. al b. sure: peace and blessings, queen. good to see you. i want to learn how to do that. we are going to talk later. president of the 1.7 million member american federation of teachers the aft is dedicated to the believe that every person in america deserves the freedom to thrive, fueled by opportunity, justice, and a voice in our democracy. ladies and gentlemen, randi weingarten.

[applause] joe: we actually have a triple threat here, because labor is very important to us, lab is extremely important, all of you who are members of a labor union, let me hear you. just yell it out. let me introduce -- they are all going to come out together. so i am going to introduce one more labor leader and you got one to introduce and we will bring them all out together. the international vice president of the service employees international union, the president of seciu, local 2015, which is california's largest union, and the nation's longest long-term care union, get this, representing over 400,000 home

care and nursing home workers throughout the state, and with all of that craziness, can i say that going on? all of that going on in california, and you have some jackass republican -- no. and he wants to get rid of medicare. >> he wants to get rid of the minimum wage. joe: oh hell, he wants to get rid of the minimum wage. all we know -- we will be voting on him. he will not mention his name because we know who he is. this is nonpartisan, but we are nostupid. ladies and gentlemen, april and then one more labral -- labor leader and then we will bring them all out together. al b. sure: let us hear it for the legend joe madison, one of my menrs and radio and this is

an amazing gentleman, such a legend. [applause]-- [laughter] president of the american federation of state, county, and municipal employees, with 1.4 million members in communities across the nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations from nurses to correction officers, childcare providers to sanitation workers, the first african-american to serve as afsc-me president, mr. saunders. ♪ randi: i am honored to be here with m my brothers and sisters f this movement, the labor

movement and the civil rights movement. and this movement gives me hope, hope that just like in 1963, when our mothers and fathers marched for jobs and justice on a day that was this hot or hotter, that much -- march to the voting rights act. and this march will lead to the end of the assault on voting rights. [applause] that is why, reverend sharpton and martin luther king jr. have promised -- have brought us together today, not just to the commitment to dr. king's dream, but the commitments of the american dream for all of us. so, if i sound mad, i am. because here, almost 60 years after dr. king riveted the

country as he spoke of the unifying dream for all children, after almost 60 years. after john lewis almost died on the edmund pettus bridge for voting rights. we areere one more time fighting for voting rights. it is inexcusable. it goes against everything we believe in and teach our children. about the american experiment, and the promise of democracy, and i should know, i am a social studies teacher who have taught this for years. every american has a right to a voice. every adult american should be able to exercise that voice without the ridiculous suppressive hoops that state after state is trying to do. every american should have the right to a good education, a

good job with the right to a union and a say in who represents us. these rights, we fought for them and 63, and we will fight for them every single day. speaking of education, obviously it requires us to reopen schools fully and safely. but, let me also say this. our kids have a right to know the full, honest history of thte united states, even if some people find that uncomfortable. i cannot believe i have to say that out loud. i am telling you as the president of a labor union that represents educators, we will defend any teacher who insists on teaching honest history. [applause]

all of this, though, depends on our right to ve, because we ththe people must kick the peope in power, not ththe other way around. and, you know that there is why -- that is why there is this assault on voting rights and 500 plus anti-voting right bills right now. of course it is fueled by trump's big lie about the 2020 election, but let me end with this, that big lie is not bigger than we are. that big lie is not bigger than dr. king's dream. that big lie is not bigger than our fight for freedom. and that big lie is not bigger than my grandmother who came from the ukraine without a job, without an education, who made it in america. that big lie is not bigger than

any of us standing here. we are bigger than his lies, we are bigger than the is -- these attacks on the right to vote in the attacks to a race history. we need to fight and to be a struggle in this fight and solidarity, to fight for the john lewis voting right act and hr one, and to fight for an america that stands up for everyone. [applause] april: good afternoon washington, d.c.. i am hot too, you all can do better than that. i said good afternoon. that is more like it. >> yes ma'am. april: thank you reverend sharpton, martin king the -- martin king iii.

what a beautiful sight in front of me, the side of our people standing up for justice. i get to represent -- it is my privilege to represent 2 million members of the service employees international union. [applause] every single day, i wake up to fight for the 400,000 members of sciu local 2015, we are mostly black and brown women, immigrants who do the hard work of taking care of the elderly and disabled in their homes and nursing homes. over the last year and a half during this pandemic, their jobs have been harder than ever before. they have risked everything. their lives, livelihoods to care for othersand they continue to do it selflessly. but, i am here to tell you that covid ain't the only illness impacting our nation.

our nation has been impacted by the plague of hate and racism since the days people landed -- europeans landed on the shores. across our country, our democracy is under attack by a different plague. the republicans are systemically trying to roll back our voting rights. since january, 48 states have introduced over 389 bills meant to make it harder for all of us to go to the vote -- to vote. in some states they passed laws, we see you georgia, we see you florida. we see you texas. but the republicans' attack on our democracy is not limited to the old stomping grounds of the confederacy. back in my home state of california, and you cannot get

much deeper blue than california, we have a wasteful recall that is meant to roll back the voice of the people. it is just california's version of voter suppression but we wl not stand for it. if they cannot beat us in a fair fight we know what they do, they cheat, they rob, and steel, they rigged the game. it is the echoes of jim crow, the echoes of history. we know the roadblocks, we know the signs, we know how they intimidate, but we will win in californiatexas, georgia, and florida. history may not always repeat itself, but we hear the echoes, history is echoing today. can you hear it? can you hear the echoes of history? >> yes. april: you know it better than i

do, august 28, 1963. civil rights leaders, faith leaders, labeler -- labor leaders came to march for washington -- came to washington for rights. can you hear the echoes of history? >> yes. april: today, we are here in this place marching for our freedom, marching for our jobs, marching for care, marching for justice, marching for our climate. can you hear the echoes of history? we will not be denied our legacy, we will not be denied our freedom. we will not be denied our justice, sisters and brothers, we will not be denied, so what did we do? dr. king said "i have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live the self -- live out its creed, that all men

and i will say women are created equal to achieve and live out the stirrings of dr. king, we must rise up. when america does not live up to its ideals, it is up to us to demand that we rise up. are we going to rise up? >> april: april: yes. i know y'all are hot, but we will rise up? it was hot in 1963 but they rose up and fought for justice. the day we will rise up and not be moved until we win the john lewis voting rights act. we will win the for the people act, and the largest investment in care of this country has ever seen. thank you sters and brothers. lee: are you fired up? i did not hear you, are you fired up? good afternoon.

i am proud to be here representing 1.4 million members of afscme who strengthen their communities every single day through their work in public service. i am proud to be here speaking for a labor union -- labor movement that believes union rights cannot be separated from voting rights. and i am also proud to be here as a longtime resident of washington, d.c. to speak up for my own voting rights and demand my right to full representation in the united states congress. we are here today because the very foundation of our democracy is under siege in state after state. powerful forces have made a ruthless, immoral calculation. they know that when more people participate in our elections, they lose. they know that there are them that does not have enough public

support to win fair and square. so, they are rigging the political system, doing everything they can to silence the voices and suppress the votes of black and brown people in particular. all of these issues, all of the issues that we care aboutepend on this struggle to protect and expand access to the ballot box. if you care about strengthening unions and empowering working people, this is your fight. the march on washington for jobs and freedoms. a year and a half later he lead a peaceful march for voting rights across soma, alabama -- selma, abama and nearly paid for with his life. so today we march again because

america's pursuit of a more perfect union is incomplete, because john lewis' work is unfinished. today, today we march honoring their sacrifice and summoning their porridge, -- their shoulders and carrying -- summoning their courage, and standing on their shoulders and carrying the legacy on. communities of color are still disenfranchised. today we march again to bath the john lewis voting rights advancement important people cap. -- people. -- john lewis voting rights advancement and today we march

and tomorrow we organize and mobilize every block, every city, every state across the country. today we march and tomorrow we continue building powerful grass grassroots effort today we march and tomorrow we protect our fundamental right of citizenship, the right to choose our own leaders, the right of self-government, the right to vote in free and fair elections. today we march. tomorrow we raise hell. thank you very much. ♪

>> first and foremost i want to thank you for practicing social distancing this mobile, man-made pandemic. i want to introduce to you the legend, joe madison. joe: that word legend, it means

you are old, but you had to survive. i am going to tell y'all something. everything keeps talking about this passing the torch, and i'm going to be honest with you, i'm not passing my torch. now i might -- here's what i'm gonna do, i'm gonna let your torch, like john lewis let -- lit our torch, rosa parks lit our torch and they held onto their torch. if i pass my torch, i'm in the dark, and right now none of us can afford to be in the dark. so what we have to learn to do -- what we have to learn to do

is like a good relay team. you got to make sure you grab that torch, because none of us have a time to drop it. so we are here to light torches. go back to your communities and light the torches of eternity and sororities and hbcus and organizations. think about this -- we are not building gallows, we are not climbing over walls, we are here peacefully and joe manchin has to decide what side of history he wants to be on. do you want to be on the side of john lewis?

i'm tired of folks talking about, i love john lewis. if you love john lewis, the new boat for the john lewis voting advancement bill. hailing from the state of new york, talking about lighting the torch, he serves as the freshman representative to leadership and the 117th congress, making him the youngest member of the democratic house leadership team. he also serves as the deputy whip for the progression of progressive caucus and as cochair of the lgbtq equality caucus, please put your hands together and welcome

representative mondaire jones of new york. ♪ rep. jones: good afternoon. thank you mr. madison for that generous introduction, to verend sharpton into martin luther king, and most portly to all of you for descending upon washington dc and elevating your voices and making it known to those in power that we wl not turn away, not so long as we've got work to do. we have come this far by faith and we have never been more powerful in the history of this nation, but there's still work to do.

our democracy is in crisis. the insurrection at the capitol on january 6 told us all. so did a number of senate republicans to investigate what happened on january 6. we have reached what well may be our last chance to rescue this nation from racist minority rule. this nation and this world can ill afford to allow white supremacists, misogynists, homophobes, folks who deny the effectiveness of vaccines and who don't even want to certify presidential elections to take back control of the united states government, through disenfranchisement.

now there are some who suggest that we do nothing, don't they? we accept the status quo that has led us to this moment of crisis, but those of us today understand that if the senate and the white house do not act, yes, the white house, catch that, the white house. because during the civil rights movement, we had a president of the united states who didn't just throw up their hands and say, all right, that is the senate's responsibility to pass legislation, we need the white house to say we need to get rid of this jim crow filibuster, don't we? if we fail to act in is moment , we are on a path by which democracy dies in darkness.

allow me to paint a picture of that dark future for you thanks to gerrymandering, first party of donald trump take control of the house, even as democrats continue to win more votes nationwide. hell no indeed. excess make sure that does not happen. -- allow me to make sure that doesn't happen very the party of donald trump would take back the house like places in georgia. we have to make sure raphael warnock comes back to the senatete, don't we? [applause] the party of donald trump, under the status quo, would win back the presidency in the year 2024, whether becae of voter suppression, the antidemocratic electoral college, or because reddit states have had success in overturning the results of free and fair elections.

the supreme court, which is already under radical right wing control will do nothing to stop this. the gop's two stolen seats will make sure that happens. we will all feel the consequences of far-right minority rule. power will continue to concentrate in the hands of a few. corporations will continue to deny science and pillage our planet as we will hurtle full speed toward climate catastrophe and tax bills of the superrich continue to shrink. they will spend billions to send themselves space while millions on earth starve. the cost of health care and

education will grow further out of the reach of americans. civil liberties will erode and our government will have learned nothing from the murder of george floyd last year. shame in deed, shame. -- shame indeed, shame. the next pandemic under voter suppression where people who believe in science are denied the opportunity to lead in government will cause massive, preventable suffering and our governments, the federal government, captured by powerful special interests and insulated from the will of the american people, will remain in different to that suffering. my friends, that road is dark. i don't want to go down that road and i know none of you want to go down that road. thankfully it doesn't have to be

this way, does it? we are not powerless to stop it. have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to achieve the long held promise of a permanent multiracial democracy, a democracy where your vote and everyone's vote matters because we ended the surge of partisan gerrymandering, where you never have to worry about ether yourse or friends d family areegistered to vote because they are registered automatically. where you don't need to justify exercising your right to vote by mail. we are teachers and bartenders can run competitive campaigns, even if they don't come from money or a political family. where candidates for office make their case we, the people, that they deserve our support rather

than being anointed by billionaires and corporations. where elections are won by uplifting voters rather than suppressing their votes. that is a democracy where the american people are in charge, not a select, powerful few. where every voice and vote matters. it is a promise that is every bit as we are fighting for as it was when heroes dr. king, marcia johnson, and john lewis and so many others fought for our right to vote and for dignity and in several instances took the steps in the year 1963 and it is an opportunity that we have never been closer to grasping. the senate could bring about

this vision tomorrow, couldn't it? but a small handful of senators are standing in our way. these senators cling to the dangerous conclusion that 10 publican senators of good conscience are somehow going to join them in the fight for democracy when we couldn't even get a vote for the john lewis voting rights act a few days ago. even as we fall fururther into crisis, these senators have found comfort in a white house that has failed to call to an end to the jim crow filibuster. so i am here to tell you that power concedes nothing without demand. i am here to tell you that is why you are here today, to demand that president biden call on the senate to abolish the filibuster and pass before the people act and the john lewis voting rights act.

we know the future we want for ourselves, our families, our country, and we aren't going away until that feature is won. thank you so much, and god bless america. ♪ >> piece and blessing -- peace and blessings once again. i just wanted to share something with you. imagine being this very young and from a place with dreams of being a nuclear medicine technologist, a musician or an

athlete, and then i find myself in the nation's capitol with reverend al sharpton, martin luther king the third, his first they become iss is king, the entire -- his first lady, mrs king, ms. rachel dominique ashley, what an honor it is. please give them a round of was for putting this together. i am so honored, you just have no idea. now to the business. serving her sixth term representing alabama's seventh congressional district, you all know about,. she is one of the first women elected to congress from the state of alabama and is the first black woman to ever serve

in the alabama congressional delegation, responsible -- no listen to this -- responsible for introducing the john lewis voting rights advancement act or some people call it hr4, and the democrats' latest bid to restore the voting rights act of 1965. can we get a round of applause for that. [applause] and this amazing, accomplished woman is in the building today. legs and denman -- ladies and gentlemen, representative terri sewell. ♪ raboso will -- rep. sewell:.

the civil rightsts district, the cities of birmingham, montgomery, and my home town of selma, alabama. when i say selma, you say now. selma. >> now. rep. sewell: selma. >> now. rep. sewell: who would've ever thought all of those foot soldiers marched on a bridge in my hometown would become our cause. it goes to show you progress is elusive and we must do everythihing,very veneration has to do everything we can to make sure we keep the progress and we advance it. just two weeks ago at the foot of edmund pettus bridge, i had the task of getting into some good trouble. i introduced for the fourth congress and around hr4, now

probably renamed the john lewis voting rights advancement act. i did so at the foot of the bridge to remind all of us that our work is not done. it is not ok to say that you stand on the shoulders of these amazing heroes and heroines and not do your own work. so here we are marching to do our own work. and as long as a supreme court is hell-bent on rolling back voting rights, selma is now. as long as we have a senate that is so o entrenched in having a procedural vote called the filibuster and not restoring our voting rights, selma is now. so i want you all to know that we must do our part. and i know you well, because old battles have become new again. no longer will we be counting

how many marbles in a jar. modern-day suppression is alive and well, and we have to do our part to roll it back. i just want all of you to know that john, this is the first time i have introduced this bill without john lewis since the decision in 2013. we worked tirelessly to come up with a modern-day formula to put the full protection of the voting rights back into our law. what we have seen across this nation's state legislatures imposing more restrictive laws. in fact, over the summer, 400 voting laws were actually introduced in more than 49 estates and 30 voting laws were actually passed in 18 states, egging it harder for us to vote. now more than ever we need your

mobilizaon. we need you to participate, and we need you to call those senators and tell them they must pass hr4 now. hr4 now. it was john lewis who said that ours is not a struggle of one year, one day or even one lifetime. ours is a struggle for all of us in every generation. let's do our part. i had the great honor because i represent selma and birmingham and montgomery and congress of having a million boynton robinson, who at one -- amelia boynton robinson, who at 103, was russia's cargo and -- was precious cargo and had an opportununity to meet with barak obama before he gave his speech on the union.

they said we stand on your shoulders. she got tired of saying they stand on her shoulders and she said, "get off my shoulders." do your own work is what she said. i stand to say that we are doing our work for hr4, but we need help. we will not stand by idly and let them just filibuster hr4. too much is at stake. federal protections must be restored. the only way we can do that is passed hr4. when i sayhr4 you say now. hr4. >> now. rep. sewell: let's get into some

good trouble and less pass hr4. ♪ >> the next speaker, and there are several members of congress, particularly the black caucus that are here today, but the next speaker is serving his ninth term in the u.s. house of representatives, representing the ninth congressional district of texas. he is a member of the house committee on homeland security and serves as the chair of the financial service subcommittee on oversight and investigatis.

he has a name that you can't forget, and you might even stand up and dance to it. ladies and gentlemen, congressman al green. ♪ rep. green: the band don't know of what love and happiness -- don't know "love and happiness." let's give joe an expression of love. let's hear it for the honorable al sharpton. let's hear it for martin king the third. i have a message for you.

here is my message. we cannot come as democrats, control the house, the senate, and the presidency and not deliver on the things that the people who set out there to do. when you control the house and the presidency or the senate and the presidency, there's an expectation. but when you control the house, the senate, and the presidency, there's an obligation. we have an obligation to pass the george r floyd justice and policing act. we have an obligation to do it because there is -- there should be no no not laws. -- be no no-knock laws.

we have an obligation to pass legislation that will give the district of columbia statehood. here are some facts you need to know. there are some inconvenient truths to deal with. here is one. d.c. has a higher per capita state tax rate than any of them the country. d.c. has been trying and has been denied statehood for centuries. it is a more than taxation without representation. it is about over taxation because of underrepresentation in the senate of the united states of america. that's what it's about. we have got to pass it. we have an obligation to pass the john lewis voting rights advancement act. and here is why. we have a right and obligation do it because dr. king

marched so that we might have these voting rights. they gave their lives so we could have voting rights. we have a duty to those who have shed blood on the edmund pettis ridge. the truth -- original. -- the edmund pettis bridge. it was written in the blood of those on the bridge and on the blood of john lewis, on the blood and we must pass it and you have to help us get it done. if you are going to help us pass it, stand up and show it. give the voting act the motion and energy it deserves.

argue with me? are we going to move question -- are you with me? are we going to move? i am al green. i love you. it's have some love and happiness for the good times. ♪ >> what a dynamic man he is, and he has the name al green. i was nominated for four grammys and i won one grammy with reverend al green for a gospel record.

but he is a cooler al green right here. now down to the busess. known as an influential and forceful voice in washington, she is currently serving her 14th term as a member of the united states house of representatives, representing the 18th congressional district of texas, centered in houston, ththe energy capital of the wor. i actually had the privilege of meeting this dynamic queen at the congressional black caucus a few years ago. ladies and gentlemen, are presented in sheila jackson lee.

rep. lee:. what a privilege. what a moment. what a time. i am going to ask you to do something with me that has not been done yet, and i want the world to see that all of us who are descendants of enslaved africans or people of color have shed our blood for this nation. so if you would, take a little bit of my time to have a moment of silence for those soldiers who fell in afghanistan wearing the iform. so many of our cousins and others and sisters and fathers

are buried in cemeteries in faraway places and for some reason america doesn't think we have shed our blood and as we have shed our blood, let's do a moment. i will take my time to honor them. would you please with me. i thank you so very much. the reason why i did that is because i am tired of being tired. i don't want to stop finding my justice. i don't want it to be said just be patient a ltle bit longer, so i am here today to reflect upon our ancestors, those who were enslaved for 246 years.

most people don't want to be reminded of that time in our history. in that time of slavery, we suffered the route teeth of the whip, separated from our families, longing for freedom. and and that emancipation proclamation and the juneteenth holloway, with freedom comes privilege and rights. it comes the honest ability to own repartee. i ran into a brother and said can you just tell them homeless people have rights. it gives us a privilege of not being hungry, thirsty, without a job. that is what freedom is all about. and yet we come to this time in this comment when people are telling us to continue to be homeless, the evicted, don't have the justice in policing

act. i am telling you that i am ready now, as i have been ready before, i don't know if you are ready, but i am. i am not going to stop anymore. i am not going to wait anymore. i am going to be able to say all things are built through christ but i am going to say we are blessed with inalienable rights, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. for this reason, we are gathered here today. i thank you for you and your family and for laying the groundwork now it is time for us to run without ceasing. we cannot have tallassee again. right now -- we cannot have brutality again. we cannot be worse than 1965.

maybe you didn't walk across the edmund pettis bridge but you have to take the shoes and walk. it is my mission and commitment to show them the respect of their position i will not rest and the question is, your conscious and your courage. is there courage in this. is there courage in the united states senate, is there courage in america and is there a time when we cannot rest but w we mut go forward and determined that it is time for the voting rights act to be passed. it is time for george floyd. it is time for all that brings dignity to human beings. so, my brothers and sisters, i am a student of the movement, i am a card-carrying number. but the question is, are you

just a member of the movement or are you prepared to drive that movement. are you a card-carrying member of so many different routes? -- different groups? are you prerepared to be a fighr for justice? are you repaired to engage in nonviolence, civil disobedience? are you prepared to get arrested? i got arrested because i believe voting rights is determining what we are all about. yes, i'm a legislature, but do i legislate with courage or do i step backwards? i believe if you are out, member what i said that we can do things through christ who empowers us. so what i am saying to you now that have the worst voting rights laws that reprise texans

of voting. texas is the wororst state to ve in and the entire nation. for those who held the seat bore me, i am encouraged by them. in this book that john lewis provided in his last day, he offered messages of conscience, you do something because it is consciously right. do you not step back when justice is being trampled on? he offered messages of dealing with courage. is there courage out there? something is happening in america, sometng we have to overcome. we must. we must take our shoes and carry on. we must take our shoes and carry on. i don't know about you, but i am

going to o carry on. never give it up. carry on. we love you. ♪ >> i am very proud to say that i am a native of highland -- native ohioan. i know there are a lot of those here, but this young lady has represented her congressional district, her city, her state, her country and i was extremely

proud, extremely proud to see her on television the other day being arrested -- being arrested, along with other members of the congressional black caucus. the third congressional district , she is also currently the 27th chair of the congressional black caucus. ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together to give the chairwoman of the congressional black caucus, representative joyce beatty. rep. beatty: thank you, thank you, joe madison.

let's give it up for joe madison. we are going to talk about freedom and voices and standing on the shoulders of our ancestors. can't you just hear martin luthering junior to begin to us? can't just hear her speaking to us? as chair of the congressional black caucus, it is indeed my honor to stand on the stage following the members of the black caucus. we are united, but we, to you today with an ask. we ask you to stand with us. we ask you to fight with us. we ask you to make justice for us, because we know there are so many injustices. we know far too many of our little black ones and girls are being killed.

we know far too many of our boys and girls are in the system and they have unequal sentencing and unequal treatment. we know if we do not stand up for voting rights, if we do not stand up and get people registered to vote, then we can't ke a difference. let say thank you to my good friend, the reverend dr. al sharpton and let me say thank you you to martin luther king the third and his lovely wife and my friend, the granddaughter of martin luther king junior, yolanda renee king who will be with us today. we are here. let it be clear, 58 years ago, some 25,000 people came on these hollywood grounds. -- these hollowed grounds

because they knew if they could look to the future they would need to give us a blueprint. so when people ask us why we are here, i want you to tell them we know what we have to lose. i want you to tell them it was the congressional black caucus that led the vote this week for hr4, the john lewis voting rights advancement act. i want you to tell them the was a black woman in the speaker's chair on the debate on hr4 and that black women was me, joyce beatty, from dayton, ohio. and i want you to say there was a black woman in the chair when we hit the gavel when we called for the vote. i want you to tell them that there was a black man, james clyburn, that deliver the president of the united states.

he delivered the president because lack folks and crown folks and white folks got out and got people registered to vote. let me just end i think that our work is not over today. i want you to know that we have to continue in this fight. i want you to know that our work is far from over. we have folks in the senate that think they are not goingng to ve for this but they don't know the power of the people. they don't know the power of the folks gathered here today. you should never come to the microphone without a call to action. you should never come to the microphone and not ask people what to do. let me and -- end by saying as black people, we know what we have to do. ♪

joe: so powerful. what a dynamic queen she is.

president of the largest and oldest hispanic organization in the united states, the league of latin citizens, his life is that of a self-made success in public service spanning decades of hard work and sacrifice. mr. domingo garcia, national resident of lulac. ♪ [in spanish] >> good afternoon. my name is domingo garcia, and let me tell you something. when i was 10 years old, i faer and mother who didn't speak englilish were illiterate and going through a small town in texas and stopped at a gas station to get burgers. when we got there, a white man, told my father, pointed to the

sign. it said no mexicans, no need gross, no dogs allowed -- negr os, no dogs allowed. in texas yesterday, the senate republican court and legislature passed a voter suppression bill. should it be illegal to give people who waited six or seven hours to vote water? should it be illegal? should it be illegal to give an absentee ballot to a senior citizen so they can vote by mail? should that be illegal? should it be illegal to take -- to the polls? we need to fight back. your vote is important. there are people who are trying

to stifle our voices, but we won't let them. t me jus tell governor abbott of texas, as soon as you sign that suppression bill on we will try to stop you from taking our vote. sometimes good trouble, you have to start it. sometimes it to break the law to change the law. i don't have a problem giving water to a senior citizen who is waiting to vote. and if they want to arrest me, i will go to jail. we have everybody's right to vote. and finally, for everyone in the fields today to put crops and vegetables on our tables, everyone who is washing the bathrooms in a hotel or restaurant today, to the people

working in the meat packing plans to put porkchops and chickens and steaks on our table, they need a voice to stand up and say we need to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. we need to have osha and force the workers of covid for all workers who are essential. that is the way we are going to do it. i look forward to working with martin luther king the third so that children want to be put in cages. i want to thank al sharpton for inviting me here today and for everyone who is working to make sure that when we say with liberty and justice for all, we mean all. thank you. ♪ joe: let me welcome now a good

friend, a major leader of a major organization that has been around since 1909 and still going strong. they understand the importance of registering people to vote, turning people out to vote, and when it comes to public policy, they are always at the table. the current president and ceo of the naacp, a title he has held proudly 2017, please welcome derrick jensen, head of the naacp. [applause]

derek: thank you, joe madison. for many of you who know joe madison, he was one vote for -- from being the head of the naacp. he is one of the best organizers the naacp ever had. he was effective because he understood that marches and demonstrations and rallies are the events between the works. the rk is when we leave here to make sure we put the demand on 50 senators to pass voting rights protection. at the end of the day, people would try to have a debate about the filibuster rules and what the president is going to do and this thing over there, and our demand must be clear -- get it done.

if you can find the ability to pass an infrastructure bill for $3.5 trillion, you dam sure can find the political will to provide -- protect the rights of artists across the country. if you can find the political will to put $2 trillion into afghanistan for 20 years, it is no excuse why you can't protect our right to vote. at the end of the day, it is about the right to vote. everything is secondary. because our community and wants us to support climate change you as if they are protecting our right to vote. if you get ask you going to protect the rights for workers, u.s. if they are going to protect our right to vote. you say are you going to stand up and protect our right to vote. at the end of the date, our vote is our currency.

our currency collectively electe d two senators from georgia. we put joe biden in the white house. we collectively together elected the first president, the first black female vice president. our currency collectively deposited together cannot be suppressed. so as we leave here and prepare for the next phase of this fight , we don't want to hear any excuse about joe manchin. i want to know if all 50 members in the senate who depend on black votes are ready to protect our votes. that is the question we need to ask k state by state estate. and that will be our vote moving forward.

nanaacp, 112 years old. we started this around our franchise, we have stepped into fight for our franchise. my question to all of you here and listening, are you ready to stand to protect the right to vote? peace and power. ♪ joe: ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for the ceo of the naacp, mr. derek johnson. [applause] when people ask her what she wants to be remembered for, it comes down to this, a relentless commitment to a fair shot for every d.c. resident.

ladies and judgment, the mayor of the district of columbia, the norable marielle bowser -- muriel bowse mayor bowser: good afternoon and welcome to washington, d.c. my hometown, the greatest city in the world, it and soon to be the 51st state. i want to thank reverend sharpton and the national action network for bringing us together on this historic occasion. today we stand on the shoulders of giants, generations of civil rights leaders and activists. to my friend the late congressman lewis and so many others in between. they would want us all to stay

on this stage every day to keep pushing, to keep fighting and to keep demanding. we know that it shouldn't take this long to secure our fundamental rights. we shouldn't have to keep marching. we shouldn't be here 58 years later to stop the disenfranchisement of people. but we will march, we will vote, we will organize, and, ladies and gentlemen, weight will run for office. and speaking for the 700,000 residents of washington, d.c. who don't have a single vote in that house, we will becomthe 51st state. are you with me? as i told the senate earlier this year, and i promise you today, d.c. residents have been in this fight for nearly 220 years, and we will not quit

until we achieve full democracy. i refuse to give up my birthright. i refuse to let 100 people in the senate off the hook and not perfect our democracy by making d.c. 51st state. too many americans don't know our place. we are americans. we pay taxes. we pay actually more taxes than 22 states and more per capita than any one of them. we send our people to war to fight for our democracy. we send our public servants in that building to save it from insurrectionists, yet we don't have a vote. we know that d.c. statehood is

constitutional. and we know that just like the voter suppression wewe are talkg about today, the refusal to grant d.c. statehood is a legacy of slavery and jim crow america, and we refuse to let it stand. about everything else, we know that statehood is the only way to right and historic rome. -- an historic wrong. now we demand that they figure out a way to get it done in the united state senate. we cannot just celebrate small victories. we have to push for the ultimate victory. that is when our votes, black, brown votes are protected all across the united states of america and that is when d.c.

becomes the 51st state. black americans have fought for every single right have today. black women have fought for every single right have today. we fought for our freedom, for our citizenship, for access to the ballot box, and we are not done, and we won't be done until we have true equality. so let's keep pushing, keep making our voices heard, and demand that we protect every vote and that we grant the statehood. thank you. ♪ now, ladies and gentlemen, i have the great privilege of introducing a young lady that i had the pleasure to meet one

called martin luther king day on martin luther king avenue in washington, d.c. she is the first and only grandchild of dr. martin luther king junior and caretta scott king and is no stranger to the stage. at the age of 13, she is an absolute powerhouse. please welcome yolanda renee king. ♪ yolanda: hello, washington. yolanda: i am the proud granddaughter of dr. martin

luther king jr.. today is a historic day because on this date, the that years ago, grandfather led a march on washington. to demand that black americans to have the same rights as white americans. -- just about my age. for every life lost to racism like to observe a moment of silence. [moment of silence] yolanda: people have been asking

me what i am for voting rights. what is my role in all l of this when i am just 13? here is what i tell them, my generation cannot vote, but your vote affects us. we have to demand that our leaders do their jobs. marching and activism are the tools that we have and we need to use them. this is not a game, this is about the issues and policies that affect our lives. it's about the ds who are skilled to go to school because of gun violence, the black women who are fighting hard to make it easier for people to vote. i march because i am tired of electing officials that put themselves first. i am disgusted by the behavior of many of our leaders. it is easier to register to own a gun than to vote. think about that. if you are a congressperson protecting firearms, or want to protect the right to vote -- why

wont you protect the right to vo? i march because i want change, for eryone who comes next. my grandmother said that every generation has to earn their freedom. i believe that o our generation can free the generations yet to be born. we need to make -- take matters into our own hands. i march because i know activism works. i have seen it in my own family. when reagan refused to pass the bill to make martin luther king an official holiday, my grandmother met with many political leaders to tell them why it was so important. people march and use their voices and eventually reagan signed the bill. activism works. here is my question to elected officials, why are you in office? are you here for power or are you here to use your platform to good -- for good?

if you say you're here for good, prove it. past theor the people act, these bills cannot wait and we are being silenced. here is my message to other teenagers. get wild. you can call and email your present is directly. i will be doing it every day. talk about this on social media and tell your friends about what is going on. the torches being passed to us, it is time for our generation to wake up the world. we can stop talking about the dream and start living it. [applause] weill be the geration that earns and wins our freedom once and for all. when we are done, we can say

libra --[speaking spanish] thank you, washington, d.c. >> riverton -- reverend richardson. that is a tough act to follow. you have got to do it. pastor of the historic grace baptist church in mount vernon new york, he leads the largest african-american church in

westchester county, new york. a renowned leader, preacher, who has traveled across this world. one of his most important responsibilities besides serving god, he is chairman of the board of the national action network. please welcome dr. franklin richardson. dr. richardson: thank you. we have been stimulated knowing that our future is intact. we have heard more luther king's granddaughter taking us -- martin luther king's granddaughter taking us into the future. on behalf of the future action network, i am happy to tell you that we are continuing this a long fight.

we stand here today in the legacy of those who believed that one day all of us americans will have the right to be fully who got has called us to be. full participants in the struggle we are here today to hold the legacy of the most suppressed of us. those who disembarked and when they got off the boat there were those who said before i will be a slave i will be buried and be buried with my god. we are here to fight until we get whathey envisioned. we are here to register to this nation that we will not tolerate inequality in any shape or form under any circumstance, under any race, under any social class. all of us are equally valuable

in the american mosaic. we praise god for that today. i am here to say how important it is that you have come today. it is my privilege to present the missionary for this occasion i want to celebrate martin luther king iii and his wifand family who have been working with our leader to help us make this a reality. i want to present to you, reverend al sharpton, the person who has held us together. he has held us together. his vision has been clear, he sacrificed his life, he has been through great trials and tribulations, he is the single most powerful voice for african americans in this country today. we ought to give him praise. we need to celebrate reverend al sharpton who is our leader and

has brought us across these years into a new era. an error of inclusion, -- era of inclusion. let us receive him, president of the national actionn network. >> i am not reverend sharpton. it is hot, the water got him. on my way here today, i saw on house to people living in the parks not far from here -- unhoused people in the parks not far from here. what i feel every day is rage, i feel rage right now that they are trying to take our votes away. that they are trying to take your votes away.

there time to take our power away -- they are trying to take our power away. that is what moves me in this movement. theres someone who i am introducing who reminds me that the other thing you have to carry with you is love. in order to achieve dr. king's beloved community you need love. she is the embodiment of this. i want to introduce andrea king. [applause] andrea: hello d.c. good afternoon. i am the president of the drum major institute which was founded in 1969. i will forever be satisfied to

be known as the mother of that incredible young girl who just heard from. [applause] arndrea: we are in an awakening in this country. the magic of black girls can no nger be overlooked and the power of blackck women can no longer be underestimated. we have shown up for this country time and time again, even when it has not shown up for us. when i look out today, i am overcome with a sense of pride of america. on january 6th, we saw the worst of our country. it is timeme to make racists afraid again. this is what democracy looks like. i want to thank you all for being here. i know that you share this belief. there is no issue more urgent than the attack on voting rights.

while you're in -- i know you're tired of the daily prom of racism and the fighting for the things that should be freely given in a democracy. we are tired of fighting for a world of dignity and love and kindness. sometimes you wonder where is that arc of the universe that bends towards justice? in 20 do want there is no longer a voting rights act. -- 2021, there is no longer a voting rights act. it feels like it is bending back towards injustice. when john lewis are getting beaten by state troopers in selma, you can bet they were asking, when they were getting struck in the face by a violen sheriff, you can bet she was asking.

when a man was shot down in his driveway for registering voters, you can bet he was asking. when a woman was killed by the ku klux klan after voting rights march, her five children were asking. when caretta scott king later 39-year-old husband to rest, you can bet she was asking too. they're all great leaders. they were also human. we all have our moments of doubt. let me remind you of something she said, freedom is earned and you win it in every g generatio. you earn it and when it in every -- win it in every generation. for those secure about their fellow others and system -- brothers and sisters. we must bend that arc of the

universe towards justice. there as an internal flame -- eternal flame that burns. fire is one of the most powerful forces in the world. it can be used to create worms and generate power or can be an instrument of destruction. there is a fire of hatred in the heart of some people. they cannot see the humanity of people or the joy of community. there are smoldering g embers of empathy, they see the truth that people are treated differently because of the caller of their skin. failed rather turn away and let that -- they would rather turn away and let that forest burned because it is not their forest. in your heart, there is a fire that does not destroy, it fuels. it is the buyer that -- fire that burned in the parts

of our ancestors and pushed them to keep going when they thought all was lost. it fueleled your feet today and installs -- stand you up tall in the smoldering he today. the fire of equity, you keep it going and you pass it on. return those smoldering embers to apathy into a flame of empathy until people cannot ignore the difference between right and wrong. you a night the next generation. that is how we -- you reignite the next generation. that is how we bend the arc. dr. king talked about the beloved community. that we can have a society based on justice, equal opportunity, and love. it feels like we are far from that dream. i want you to look around. you are the spark of the beloved community. at this very moment, thousands of people are marching with you.

across cities across this nation, in atlanta, miami, phoenix, nashville, tulsa, omaha, and more. that is a beloved community. that is your community. communities have power. today is only the beginning. tomorrow, when that flame in your heart with you up and propels you out of bed, pick up the phone. call your senators and representatives. spread the word every platform you have. demand passage of the voting rights act, the for the people act, and the washington dc admissions act. tell them to stand for laws that lift us up. to make brotherhood and sisterhood, n empty utterances, but the first order of business on all legislative agendas. wake up the next day and do it again, until we have created so much power that the forces of

injuste cannot stand. do until we bend that arc of justice. -- do it until we bend that arc of justice. that is how justice will win in 2020. then we shall see what has become of the dream. thank you, america. it is my honor to bring forward the love of my life, the man with whom within a few minutes of meeting who i know was the best man i've ever met. even through that, he carts out time in his schedule to make sure that he takes our daughter to school. he brings me roses once a week. martin luther king iii. martin luther king iii: good

afternoon washington dc. we stand here today not far from where where my father said some very famous words. 58 years ago. it was a hot day like this one. the crowd was getting restless. he pushed aside his prepared speech and started talking about a dream. i believe his words have remained so powerful after all of these years because he described a vision for the way america ought to be. he issued a challenge to this country. to live up to the ideals in its founding documents. like all of us, he read those

words since he was a child. before i finished, i will be finished in a few moments, i do not need a lot of time to say what i have to say. i've got to say something about my daughter and my wife. we are so blessed to have a little young lady who is an activist. did you enjoy her? yolanda is who she is because of my wife. my father saw the hypocrisy of a nation that could shout all men were greeted equal and while counting some of them as 3/5 of a human being. charging children for swimming in a public school, show

throwing -- start throwing japanese children in internment camps. he read our founding documents, he stood on this lawn and sent to our government, make them true. -- said to our government, make them true. you see every person has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? make it true. the most impornt thing he did that day was to not challenge the powers of the government to make it true. it was to challenge the 200,000 marchers who came out that day to make it true. it was the challenge to a marginalized voices to make it true. it was the challenge to white america to not turn the other cheek, to stand on the side of what is morally right and make it true.

thought history, we have been reminded that democracy is not -- throughout history, we have been reminded that democracy is not just when you cast a vote. taking withdrawals from every other day. as john lewis said, in his final message, democracy is not a state. it is an act. he also told us that the vote is not guaranteed, we could lose it. that means we cannot elect leaders and declare victory when our work is not done. we must remain engaged to create the accountability of political power that leads to change. let me tell you a story. when the civil rights act of 1964 was signed, my father visited the white house. hey told president johnson, --

he told resident johnson, this is not enough. we need a voting rights bill. states could pass all kinds of laws designed to keep people from voting. president johnson told my father i cannot do it. i used up all of my political power to get the civil rights act passed. when my father walked out of the white house, people said, what are you going to do? he said, we are going to go back to the south to get him power. i would not pretend it was simple. people were beaten, some were killed, police turned fire hoses on peaceful marches who just wanted to vote. the voices got louder, the demonstrations got bigger. the reporters showed up in greater numbers. the moral outrage grew.

that is how the voting rights act happened. through the power of the people. today, we need that same nonviolent, but forceful action from every person subconscious in america. at is good trouble. -- from every person in america. that is good trouble. starting with the lies that got us to this point. we hear a lot about the big lie, lie that some of our own leslators in congress are pushing every day. they ask americans, believing that our last election was stolen. votes were counted fairly and accurately. they are using that light to justify all of those laws that will make it harder for black and brown people to vote. thatat big lie is not the firstn our history. it is born out of the biggest

lie of all, some people are inferior because of the caller of their skin. that light justified slavery -- ally justified -- lie justified slavery and a war that nearly tore the country apart. the confederacy was engaged in a noble cause, rather than the people because of slavery which is not only a treasonous act against our country, but a treasonous act against god. all over the south, monuments to that lie pop up in town squares as a glorification of white supremacy. an affirmation to those who still believed in it. let us be clear about what we mean, we are talking about statues and flags honoring people who wanted to buy and sell their fellow human beings as property.

over the last few years, protesters have stood up to those symbols and torn them down. the biggest monument t to white supremacy remains. if we do not tear it down, nothing else matters. it is called the filibuster. i do not know if you guys know what the filibuster is, it is one of those or you hear on the news. people rarely explain it. when they do, they do not tell you the whole story. here is the whole story. the filibuster is an old senate loophole that has been used for more than 100 years to block civil rights legislation. a left any senator -- any senator can object any bill for any reason, and when they do the bill needs 60 votes to get anywhere. not just a simple majority. some people say it is about keeping things bipartisan.

let us look at the facts. in 1800s, the filibuster was used to block legislation that would protect the right of black voters in the south. officials in the south did not want the sleeve -- newly freed slaves to have power. 35 were used to -- 1935 it was used to block in legislation bills that americans supported. filibustering the law that says there will be consequences if you hunt and murder someone? in 1942, it was used to block anti-politics -- and people tax -- anti-poll legislation. -- the civil rights act that ended jim crow.

that is 100 years. 100 years that our government used the filibuster to keep black americans from having the full promise of freedom. now they are doing it again. our country is backsliding to the unconscionable days of jim crow. some of our sators are saying we cannot overcome the filibuster. i say to you, get rid of the filibuster. that is the monumental -- monument slavery we must dismantle. that is the monument white supremacy we must tear down. i know some leaders want to keep it, their arguments are as ridiculous as the arguments that kept people in shackles for nearly 250 years. we need to turn up the pressure on the leaders who think they're flimsy talk about bipartisanship

is more important than our rights. it reminds me of when james said we can disagree and love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression. if you are not fighting for voting rights, your disagreement is rooted in the subjugation of millions and you do not love us. a lie that says these laws protect election integrity at appointed -- and point to the fact that they do not mean that black and brown people cannot vote. in 1963, there was no law that said lack -- black people cannot vote. that was just a rule in louisiana the said voters have to pass a literacy test that

even harvard students failed. the white poll watchers did not make the white people bother with it. there was a role that said you had to guess how many jellybeans were in a jar before you could vote. the white voters always got it right. there was a rule that said you had to pay a tax to vote. it cost half a week's wages for black and brown voters. a lot i who often had no access to their own money -- it also locked out women who often did not have access to their own money. that is where you discover their intent. the same thing is happening today in states across the country. how to prevent certain people from voting without explicitly saying ty cannot vote? you cut back on mail in voting, reduce polling place hours, then the voting has to happen during the business day. which happens to be the time the

black and brown and poor voters who work service jobs cannot get away. to take away: places in the middle of big cities like atlanta -- you take away big polling places i in the middle f big cities like atlanta. you make the lin three or four hours long and find anyone who tries to pass out water to those who are waiting in a line so long they had to take off work. you put polling places hundreds of miles away from native american reservations. then you make it a crime for anyone to collect maiin ballots and help deliver them. you let more than some hundred thousand mostly black and -- 700,000 mostly black people before a president would not give them voting representation in congress.

taxation without representation. that has to change. washington must become the 51st state. this is a moment of profound danger. in a matter of weeks, state legislatures will redraw the lines of congressional districts. they will gerrymander if we do not act. we can do this because when people like you, black, brown, indigenous, asian, and white come together to do what is right, we are a force of nature. this is a battlefield of morals. you are armed with the truth. the truth is a flame you cannot extinguish. people i've done it before, we will do it again. we will demand a voting rights until we have them. do not give up, do not give in, do not give out. you are the dream, this is our

moment to make it true. some asked how long it will be, i do not know. my father said how long, not long. the long arm of the universe is a long, but it bends to justice. desk apple sways the future and behind -- the pendulum sways the future. how long? not long. god is still on the throne. thank you, a god bless you. >> here is one of the most prominent activists in the country. the man who was not afraid to speak up for the voiceless. look on the president and founder of national action network, the reverend al sharpton.

rev. al sharpton: no justice, no justice -- >> no please. -- no peace? rev.al sharpton. when do we want it -- reverend al sharpton: when do we want it? >> now. rev. al sharpton: many came for the march, some waited for this rally. over 20,000 people came e ththrh thstreets of washington with us today.

in the sweltering heat, you can judge by the numbers by the blocks. some fainted, we had to send buses back. you stayed. as we made this point, let me first celebrate the partnership that we have had with the drum major institute and march on washington. thank you to the king family. and the march on family, give them a big hand. [applause] rev. al sharpton: let me say a few things and we will bring out closing speakers. first and foremost, 21 years ago, more luther king the third was the president of sclc. we camto washington.

with his mother, the wife, widow, copilot of the movement with dr. king. she would not speak that day. she introduced he and i. every year we have found our way back too washington to stand on this state of the dream. we were here last year with george floyd. we were not going to do anything this year. arndrea said we had to do something around voting. we began organizing. we decided not to go to lincoln memorial. but two you could see over -- but to go we could see the capitol building of the united states. it is because in that building, the senators will decide whether to continue the segregation of

legislative strategy of filibuster or whether they're going to give the people of this country to vote without prohibition. that is the target of our social justice movement. not 58 years ago, but today. the secondeason, we wanted to come. on january 6th, you saw an insurrection against people's right to vote. today, you saw 20,000 walk through the streets to the capital to represent dr. king's resurrection of the right to vote. the insurrection versus the resurrection. no windows broken, no fighting, no disorder, this is how you come to the capital! [applause]

rev. al sharpton: we are supposed to be the radicals. we were the peacemakers. we are the ones who had no incidents. we are the ones who came in best behavior. we are the real patriots, showing america how to be at its best. [applause] rev. al sharpton: we have met, with senator manchin. with senator graham. with the speaker, the majority leader. this filibuster cannot be the excuse not to reissue the voting rights act as the john lewis voting advancement act. john lewis' brothers were with

us today. we want this act passed and we went into come with a carveout. to make sure that it passes majority vote or you can repeal the filibuster. either way, we will not sit by and allow you to filibuster our right to vote. we paid too high a price, people died to give us the right to vote. people spend nights in jail to give us the right to vote. people lost their lives to get us the right to vote. people were shot down in their driveway with four children inside to give us the right to vote. there is no filibuster that can stand of the way -- in the way of a people determined to get their rights. we came to washington to say we are not going to let you filibuster away our voter

protections. [applause] rev. al sharpton:: this is not a law. this is a senate custom. sitting at the back of the bus with a custom. making us drink from the colored water fountain was a custom. making us stand in the gutter while others walked on the curb with a custom. we are the custom breakers. we are the filibuster busters. president biden met with some of the civil rights leadership. we reminded him. i want to say publicly, you said tonight you one. that black america -- won.

that black america had your back. you are going to have like americans' back. mr. president, they are stabbing us in the back. in 49 states, they have got their knives out, stabbing us in the back. you need to pick up the phone and call mentioned and others. -- manchin and others, that they can carve around the filibuster. to bring voting rights for president biden. [applause] rev. al sharpton: it was that carveout that had supreme court vote 6-3 against the whole moratorium on evictions. it was that carveout that put that supreme court where it is. you know how to carve when you

want to carve. we have come to washington to tell you we are going to stay on you until you get your carving knife out again. when we came out to the white house that day, we said it would be summer of discontent. it was, it still is. now we call for a fall of action. believe me, some folks went to jail we decide to pitch tents here when the senate comes back in. we may decide to pitch a tent d stay right here all of us, hundreds of us. the filibuster busters. we might decide to go to civil

disobedience in the end of fall. we are not going to stop until we protect our right to vote. let me close by bringing on some people. we are all in morning. we are -- mourning. we are all in morning for those who have lost their lives in afghanistan. those who served us and those who helped us. how bad is it to bring home people that you do rescue? they have to go through all kinds of impediments to vote. how embarrassing is it to bring afghans here and tell them that the people in the capital of the united states do not have the right to a federal vote? that will matter in the congress?

you cannot bring people to america and not deal with the shame of what you have done to the voting policies here in washington dc. [applause] rev. al sharpton: we want marker see -- democracy in kabul, we want democracy i washington dc. let us talk like we have good sense. i heard martin tell a story about his father. his father saying we had to go down south and get president johnson some power. i thought of another power martin told me. i have used the last couple of weeks. there was a class that was an english class.

there was this young student that was an expert student. it got to the end of the semester, the teacher said i have one more assignment. i want everybody to write an essay of their pet at home. the honor student says that was easy. he went home over the weekend, he worked out his rose and poetry -- prose and poetry. he puts his paper down on the teacher's desk. she gives them their papers back at the end of the day. she came out and gave everybody their papers. gave him his paper. everybody look at their grades and was walking out. he was sitting there in shock. for the first time that semester, he got an f on his paper.

he never got anything lower than in a minus. he could hardly move. he finally got up and walked to the front of the class as the other students had left. he said, can i speak to you? the teacher said sure. she he said i do not understand how you graded my paper. i have worked all weekend on my essay. i put in the right poetic references. she said no it was well-written. she said the problem you have is not that the paper was not well-written. not that you do not have to write poetry. the problem you have is three years ago i had your brother. your brother wrote an essay just like this. this time, the young man had to smile.

he said oh you have it mistaken. you think i'm a plagiarist. you think i copied off of my brother. the problem is not that i am a plagiarist, the problem is that my brother and i had the same dog. we wrote about the same dog. i come to washington recounting what martin just gave to history to tell you that the same dog is waiting. the same dog they had in the 1960's. in 1924. the same dog as 1942. the same dog as we had to fight thurman and others. you may have on a suit and tie it, but we are fighting twos -- we are fighting the same dog. our older brothers and sisters

and mothers and fathers dealt with you and we will deal with you the same way. stand up and fight back. do not get tired, do not get weary. we can win, we always won if we cap got on our side. -- if we kept god on our side. let me bring to the stage some of our prominent civil rights leaders. that joined us in the fight. i will let all of the buses go in a minute. i know we sent some back already because of some painting. -- fainting. let me bring one that has coalesced our l latino brother d sisters. give him a hand.

give a hand to one of our brothers who stood with us and we did the march. he stood with us whenever it was not easy. he is the head of the action committee on reform judaism, rabbi jonah pander. >> god once spoke to me and said never follow al sharpton. will you help me? everybody say here i am1 facebook.com/cspan

am! >> the leader of the reformed jewish movement, 15,000 of us mobilized voters in the last election. committee of scholars, communities in philadelphia, pittsburgh, and atlanta. we believe that every voice must be heardecause every vote must be counted. luminaries like one luther king, -- martin luther king, the action center of reformed judaism, my predecessors invited dr. king to use a jewish institution to be his base in washington. that is why the voting rights act of 1965 was drafted in our conference room. here i am over voting rights because the supreme court

eviscerated the voting rights act. state after state rollback voting rights, past voter suppression bills -- passed voter suppression bills, one so bad it was called racism with surgical precision. here we are to demand from congress that they restore voting rights. here i am, on january 6th, a violent mob of racist, white supremacists waving the confederate flag and with t-shirts with anti-jewish bigotry invaded that house. our house. the house of these patriots who believe in doing justice, love, and mercy. i as a jew believe in our safety and it comes in solidarity. our redemption, despite jim

crow, despite the theft of land from native people, despite the systemic racism of voter suppression. democracy might be the redemption of our nation. we know this, what else happened on january 6th? the state of georgia elected the first jewish and black senator in history. that jewish senator was raised in the temple in atlanta that was bombed by the clan. the sister church was king's own church. our safety comes in solidarity and redemption comes in our democracy. i close invoking the names of goodman and those for them, here i am. for those who have been killed

by the klan. across all kinds of lines, muslim, christian, jew, people of faith, people of no faith, past the john lewis restoration voting rights act. let the voices of the people be heard. when god called to isaiah, isaiah said, here i am. isaiah said, then, then your light shall burst through like the dawn. your healing shall spring up quickly. your righteousness shall lead you. can i get an amen? [applause] rev. al sharpton: you can get an amen and of shalom to. -- too. let us bring out some of our civil rights leaders. i want to bring out the brother

of george floyd and the void emily. the attorney general -- and the floyd family. and the attorney general. they are going to close with them. let me bring out, what made this possible today. the board president of --, come out jackie overy. jackie: good afternoon. need is here you -- i need to hear you. my name is jackie, i am honored to be here today and stand on

this stage representing march on and seiu. i want to think march on, seiu, drum major institute, and rev. al sharpton's national action network for orgazing this momentous day. i also like to thank be the change committee in chicago and throughout the state of illinois who organized virtual marches today and throughout this week. also the 90,000 members of seiu health care illinois, kansas, and ms. who are essential to our country -- missouri who are sent to our country and voting rights.

i am also standing on the shoulders of some very important people today. anderson, leona wright, claude and carrie williams. there are two people in this audience who know why those names are important. they are important to me because they are my mother, my grandmother, and my great grandparents. these names might not be important to you. they mean the world to me. my grandmother was born in 1915. it was not unt the voting rights act passed that she was able to vote because state laws like the ones they are passing today kept her from the ballot box. i went with her on that day as a young girl, holding her hand as tears streamed down her face.

she had the opptunity to cast a vote for the first time. my great-grandparents marched with dr. king. they were spat on, beaten, and jailed for the rights that many have taken for granted. on every election day, my mother drives her neighbors and family members to polling places. i want to tell you that i hear my ancestors voices in my ears every day of my life. they are telling me to run. to run jackie, not away from the country but into the fight. to run into the fight so that everything they fought for is not lost. so that the one other person in this audience, my great-granddaughter, i will

inherit the protection of their legacy. the generation that comes next will have voting rights as first rights. i thank you, thank you america, know that the people i mentioned , not only for me, before you as well. thank you, march on, let us do this. rev. al arpton: give her a big hand. it cannot be covid right now. we have melanie campbell, damon and other civil rights leaders that will have to come on and speak. our family members will close us out. we keep talking about john lewis. john lewis sacrificed himself

and his family. we are honored to have with us two of his brothers. sammy and grant lewis. wont we welcome them at this time? won't we welcome them at this time? [applause] >> good evening. i am henry lewis, the youngest brother of john lewis. i have my brother samuel here with me. and my nephew ron. i would like to thank rev. al sharpton, martin luther king iii , for inviting us here to take part in this event. we know that congress passed

>> good evening. i am henry lewis, the younger brother of john lewis. i have my brother samuel with me. and my nephew ron. i would like to thank rev. al sharpton, are visiting, for inviting us here in this part of the event. we know that congress passed the john lewis voting rights act, and not only are we asking the conscious to guide them, and doing the right thing, but we know that the bill will help eliminate suppression. not harder. 15 years ago, my brother and others spoke at this event promoting rights. we now realize, now more than ever, this fight is not for a

day or a week or month. it is not for a year. we must be committed to fighting for a lifetime. it does not matter what side of the aisle you are on, it is more important to be on the right side of history. i, personally, want to ask those senators, what are you going to tell your grandchildren? when they ask you what side you took in the john lewis voting rights actct, did you pass it, r did you not pass it westmark that is what they are going to remember. this bill has a lot of things in it. it is not just voting it protects. it eliminates state putting inn laws to make it harder to vote.

voting is not supposed be hard. his post be easy. it is a right that our families like the kings and so many others have fought for an almost i-4. in 58 years later, we are still fighting for the same rights. something about that does not sound right. why should we beast fighting for something that was passed in 1965? but they keep chipping away a little bit. i would like to do this analysis and then i will close. if you take a cake, it is a big cake. they slice parts off of it. pretty soon, there nothing left. we cannot allow the voting rights to be sliced, sliced, sliced. we have to make it easier again.

take you so much for having us here today. >> the brothers of john lewis. give us a hand. let me bring out the president and ceo of the coalition of black civic participation. our sister beloved, our queen mother, melanie campbell. >> no justice. no justice. ank you, thank you, rev. al sharpton. thank you, my brother from another mother. thank you. can we give reverend sharpton a hand? my other brother from another mother, martin luther king the third. and arising love -- young social

justice leader, yolanda king. thank you for this invitation on this cool -- can we say cool? it is cool out here. i say, it is cool here. because you are here. if you years ago, the anniversary of the march on washington, and here we are today. one morere time. fighting the fight for voting rights. i am here representing the coalition, black women's roundtable, and rock the boat. i do things for black women, but i have my brothers with me today. is that all right? my brothers are standing with me today. we are here to send a message, and i think we have done that. i will cut off half of my remarks. the one thing i want to focus on is that we are here, standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are out here in this cool heat, who are all across

the country, who are fighting this fight in states like florida, georgia, texas. we are fighting against state legislators that are trying to provoke jim crow because they did not like the results of the election. they electcted joe biden. he is our president. we have the first black and south asian woman becoming the south -- vice president of the united states. that is our vice president kamala harris. that is why they are e mad. have you stop to think about it? why are they working so hard to keep us from voting? look around this crowd that was here, and the votes we have left. look at the racial and ethnic diversity. the diversity among men and women and lgbt community. this is why they are afraid. this is what they are afraid of. you and i are what they are afraid of.

they are afraid of the power our vote has. it w only in the hands of a select few. they are afraid of the power the boat has to be asked -- inclusive in the demographic shift of this country. they are afraid of the power our vote has to bring about equity for all people, and it will make our constitution true to its fundamental people in all people agreed equal. the power that is rooted in our fundamental rights. repeat after me. we will fight for our voting power. we will fight for our right to vote. we will go to jail to protect our right to vote. we will vote you out of office. if you don't protect our right, past the for the people act now, pass the john lewis voting rights act now, past the d.c. statehood legislation now, thank you. let's get this done. peace and love.

[applause] >> the president of the national negro league woman's organization founded by and continued by our great one and only, genetical. --jenetta cole. >> my sisters, my brothers. my siblings all. just do this for me. take this right hand and move it across your body. like this. take the other one and move it across your body.

i want you to hug yourself. i want you to love yourself. i want you to feel qualified in the struggle. please know that i am so privileged to stand here and speak for the national council of negro league women. i am here on this historic occasion. the 58th anniversary of the 1963 march on washington. it was led by dr. martin luther king. as a black woman, i stand on the shoulders of a mighty long list

of heroes. heroes who, in the struggle for our rights to vote, are called the names of sojourner truth, dr. mary mcleod, caretta scott king. today, though they cannot be seen or heard in the physical sense, the legacy of these warrior women, that legacy lives on. they have joint what the scriptures called that great

cloud of witnesses. they are encouraging us by their example. listen to that great cloud of witnesses. they exist -- insist that the right to vote is a sacred right. to deny it to any eligible american voter commits an attack . the leaders of the national council said this. when you are a black woman, you seldom get to do just what you want to do. but you always do what you have

to do. today, black women are here to do but we have to do. that is to demand an end to the onslauaught of attacks on voting rights. we are here to demand that the senate take courage from somewhere to pass the john lewis voting rights act, and yes, we are here to demand statehood. for washington, d.c.. in honor of that great clo of black women witnesses, and because of our own political

power, and in the interest of a far better future, for all of our children, we black women and our allies demand an end to voter suppression. and the struggle. always. [applause] >> lastly, the ceo of the lawyers committee on civil rights. give a big hand. >> thank you very much. good afternoon. i am damon hewitt. i am the president and executive

director for lawyers on civil rights. so much has been said today that i want to repeat. it is duplilicate it, but i want to thank reverend sharpton for leadership and vision. for commitment to intergenerational movement and leadership. we are bringing on the next generation, me and those behind me. i want to talk you today about what others have said about how the filibuster, which is standing away, to protect the voting r rights, has racist roo. i want to talk about what racism cost us. it is not just an individual vote or a few votes, or a lot of votes. racism cost us our wealth. black and brown communities make nichols on the dollar in terms of payment. but also, in terms of wealth and transference of wealth from one generation to the next, we are way behind. racism cost us our health.

this covid pandemic has struck us disproportionately. sadly, i lost my own father to this disease earlier this year. is dragging us with relentless force. racism can also cost us, in the case of my father, our very lives. we have family members of george floyd, breonna taylor, and others. racism can cost us our lives. but someone doesn't know us and understand us has a monopoly on authorized force to kilis. racism cost us our lives. racism can cost us more. it can cost us an entire democracy. not far from here on january 6, a racist and violent mob tried to overthrow democracy, fueled by the lies that black and brown people in atlanta and detroit and philadelphia and milwaukee

and other cities with large populations of people of color somehow cheated trump. they are trying to subvert our entire democracy because of racism. we stand up and we call for the senate and for president biden to take action, it is not just for our gain, it is proved -- to preserve the democracy. this is what racm can cost us. it is more fragile than we think. thank you for standing in solidarity. we love you, and we are going to get it done. [applause] one of the things that we want is the joint floyd -- george floyd policing act passed. if we do not have our right to vote, we cannonot get george fld or nothing else. i want to bring you the man that has stood with his family and stood with families through the

years. with them, the brother of george floyd and the family of young brother fred coxe, the attorney general of black america. our friend and brother, ben crump. [applause] [indiscernible] >> justice for marquise martin. rev. al sharpton, it has been 10 years that you've been host to politics nation, we want to salute you for always giving a voice to the voiceless.

we find your voice, from trayvon martin to george floyd, we would not know, so thank you for always being there. give it up for our civil rights leader thomas rev. al sharpton. we thank the legacy of the dream, martin luther king the third. we convene every year so we will not lose our way. we will remember what we are fighting for. you are going to hear fromhe legacy of george floyd, and his family is here with us. his nephew rand and and his brother thelonious. before you hear from him, we will hear from the brokenhearted mother who is going to tell you about how her 18-year-old son who is a hero trying to save

people and get them into the church was shot twice in the back by undercover police officers and that is why we are here. we have one mission. if you don't remember anything else i say, i just want to make sure you all remember one thing. to the leaders in the united state senate, the leaders in the nicest congress, and to the president of the united states of america, we don't care how. pass the george floyd act now. [applause] we don't care how. pass george floyd now. we don't care how. pass george floyd now. we don't care how. pass george floyd now. we don't care how. pass george floyd now.

when we pass george floyd act, we respect the life of breonna taylor, who was killed in louisville, kentucky, and we respect the life of daunte wright, who was killed in minneapolis. we respect august sterling, who was killed in baton rouge, louisiana. we respect those who were killed in sacramento california. we respect pam turner, who was killed outside of houston, texas. we respect those who were killed in fort worth, texas. we respect those who were killed in chicago, illinois. we respect those who were killed in los angeles, california. we respect those who were killed in staten island, new york.

we respect those who were killed in the skeleton. we respect those who were killed in elizabebeth city, north carolina. we respect all of our brothers and sisters who were killed eating ice cream in dallas, texas. we respect those who had their hands up on video in tulsa, oklahoma. we remember and respect pamela turner. she was on her basque saying she was pregnant -- on her back saying she was pregnant. they shot her in her face and her chest and her stomach. we respect those who were killed outside of houston, texas. we respect elijah mcclain, who was killed in denver, colorado.

they're been at least a hundred families in the last 10 years that we know of and at least a thousand more that we don't know about, and that's why we don't care how. pass george floyd now. now, if you could briefly give your attention to rev. al sharpton. this woman son was killed by was trying to get into a church. can you imagine killing a child at the place where we want our children to be? that is in the house of the lord. my lord. the mother of fred coxe. >> good afternoon.

i am from high pnt, north carolina. on sunday, november 8, 2020, my only child was murdered in a church by an undercover detective. he ran out of his car to save a mother and her son from gunfire that ignited on the other side of the church. even a 12 euro boy that my son saved was grazed by the bullet that this officer was recklessly shooting. my son was 18 years old, still living life. he was in the exact place we want our children to be. that is in the house of god. if you not remember anything else, remember that fred coxe.

say his name. thank you. >> now for a young man who you all came to know from the tragic killing of his broer who was tortured for nine minutes and 29 seconds from a knee on his neck in minneapolis. >> how are you doing? how are you doing? i want to thankverybody for coming out to support. i want to think reverent out -- reverent out -- rev. al sharpton. everyone needs to get out an vote. we need to vote for d.c. statehood. we need that. everybody needs to understand

that the ground we stand on is soaked in blood. it will continue to be that way until we pass the george floyd justice for police policy. you are not above the law. do not be afraid to o vote for change for a policy if the stats do not add up or the numbers do not add up. if this is not the best policy,, we need to change it becae change needs to be now. we are going to coinue to see young men and young women murdered every day. this is crazy. if you can make a law for asians, you can make a law for people of color. thank you.

you will be surprised what can become when you have the full force of the american justice system behind you. i should not have to feel like a second-class citizen. nobody should have to feel like a second-class citizen. we are watching every day, trying to improve our lives, trying to make sure that we are able to experience 60 or 70 years on th earth, just like the average amount of people. we have to cry for justice, so we must do that. the only weapon these people have is the color of their skin. the problem i'm having is that, when people see amanda killed, no problem. we see a child get killed, no problem. but we see a caucasian person get killed, it is an outrage. that is the problem i am having.

i should not be a second-class citizen again in my own country, fighting for what is right. people of been beaten and stoned and written by dogs. they fought for their rights before. you haveve some that even died. they fought for the right to vote, the right to be free, their right to exi. the right to love. change does not come without cost. the problem is how much you are willing to lose to win the fight. i will tell you this right now. we are not going to war, but we arnot laying down either. that is why we are going to continue to protest peacefully. if they can make a threat to protect a law for the bald eagle, you can protect people of color.

the bald eagle is a symbol of freedom. if i cannot walk to the store, george floyd, or sleep in the comfort of my home like breonna taylor, or enjoy eating ice cream on my couch, where can i do these things? where can i live? how can i be the person i want to be? pass the george floyd policing act. billy takes one person your life to change everything. how you feel about life. i want you all to know everybody that has sadness and toughness, and i want everyone to have grit. they're a couple people i want to mention.

the michael jordan of civil rights is over here. jeff storm. rev. al sharpton, who is a pioneer for social justice. the energizer bunny comes in the form of jackson lee. you have to take a battery out of their back. also, mr. john lewis. we also have activists like slim right here. he has done everything out of baton rouge, louisiana, to change life. i do not want to hold you up because i am killing you all right now. but hey, i want you all to be blessed and one thing i want to tell you all before i leave is, and i'm not talking about you all, i'm talking of the senate, and the world of al sharpton -- in the words of al sharpton, get

your knee off of my neck. the pain that my family, as well as other families, we have gone through as i found, let's take accountability now. i am asking at you not wait until tragedy hit your front door personally. let's pass the george floyd judging and policing act. say his name. now be the change and go vote. vote like your life depends on it. [applause] >> the new york's bus is going to have to leave. i want to ask martin and andrea anyolanda come backo the stage. before they have to leave, they have -- we will all stand in a line. they have to do it.

they have the hottest show of television in an hour. my show. so they have to go. the mother of eric garner is here. please join us. i want don, you come from earlier, i want you to bring out -- let me also -- i want to thank, before we do this, let's give a big hand to the black eagle who hosted us today.

joe madison. he is always there. an activist in his own right. the one and only, some of you all grew up swooning to him, the great al sure. dr. king and then used to sing a song. we shall overcome. weon't sing it anymore, but i think it would be appropriate today. we should go back to that old spiritual because we are going to overcome. i am honored to sing it with his children. i want to sing with those who are victims -- the floyd's, the eric garner family. this is a rare moment for you to be able to say you stood and sang that old historic song with these families. as we do, i would like jamaal

holtz to come and carry the program. please come. our brher, he has been a leader for a long time. the president of the national bar is to speak. i asked the senior pastor, the super pastor of new birth. he brought three busloads appear with him. he is been my friend and brother when he was preaching the school. he is going to preach. they only bring me once every five years. pastor jamaal bryant please lead us in prayer. we will sing we shall overcome. and what others come stand with us? help jamaal get through prayer. he needs help sometimes.

every person, would you lift up your hands? good and gracious god, we come to you simply because you are a prayer answering god. you are the god of our years, and you are the god of our silent tears. we are appreciative that you never sleep or slumber. god, we ask that you not let any republican who is against the john lewis voting rights a sleep. we ask that any legislator that is against george floyd legislation, don't let them sleep. anyone who is disrupting our right to vote, do not let them sleep. i pray that you give us a piece that passes all understanding. less the people of haiti, while you are moving, check the people of louisiana. protect people of tennessee. please touch reverend jesse jackson, and our first lady,

jackie jackson. while you are moving, breasts -- bless those who have been exposed to covid 19. while you are moving, bless us to find our voice and our courage. bless us to find our strength. thank you lord, because whenever you win, we have never lost a battle. this battle is not ours, this battle is yours. now cover our leader, rev. al sharpton. let no hurt harm or danger follow him. give us grace. keep us away from the delta variant. we only pray because you are a prayer answering god. it is your name we pray, amen. those of you that know god answers prayer, make some noise right now. [applaus ♪

the right to vote. washingtonians have marched and organized and revolutionized for a more perfect union. at 23 years old, john lewis understood a nonviolent protest. 50 years later, at 23 years old, i stand on the stage as lead organizers of 51 for 51. we are still making the same appeal. we are still calling for our freedom. we are still asking people to stand in the streets and fight. we are still asking for voting rights. we are asking the same dam thing. we've been asking for 58 years. this time, however we are calling for corrections in history. hundreds of thousands of people came from across the nation to march on washington in 1953, and the civil rights act, but when everyone went back on, residents

were left without voting representation. our democracy is now decades later over 700,000 lakh and brown residents fighting for representation in congress. we are native washingtonians. generations of people do not know what it feels like ndc to be able to vote for senator. that is a problem. to stand before the capital, a so-called beacon of democracy, that was built on the back of these slave people, to deny lakh and brown residents right to vote, that is disenfranchisement. that tells us that we cannot teach african-americans hisry in our schools. how can we spend our local dollars? it tells us we cannot spend

view of government.

we are funded by these television companies and more. buckeye broadband support c-span along with these other television providers, giving a front rosita democracy. to democracy. >> sunday on q and a with karen tumulty on the strength and tenacity of the first lady who helped shape the reagan presidency. she had one agenda, which was ronald reagan's well-being and success. she was also -- he had better instincts about people than he did. she had better news for trouble than he did.

people in the administration who understood all this, who recognized her power, people like secretary of state george schultz, or the white house chief of staff, james baker, they really understood that she was a very important and crucial ally to have, if you are trying to get ronald reagan on board. the biography called the triumph of nancy reagan, sunday night. you also can find all q&a. now, general hank taylor also holds efforts to evacuate afghans, after the fall the country to the taliban. this is half an hour.