DNC Chair Jaime Harrison and DNC Vice Chair for Civic Engagement and Voter Participation Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms released the following statement on the 58th Anniversary of the March on Washington:

“58 years ago, thousands of Americans came to our nation’s capital for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Inspired by leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Congressman John Lewis, and Fannie Lou Hamer, they sought to bring our country closer to fulfilling its original promise that all of us are created equal. They demanded racial equality and equal opportunity.

“For many of us, this is more than just history. It is a part of our own personal stories. Many of us have elders who were deeply engaged in the struggle for civil rights. All of us, regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity, have benefited from that struggle. Our nation as a whole is better because of the hardships they endured.

“Today, we have an obligation to carry forward the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and the March on Washington. Republicans are attempting to turn back the clocks and once again suppress the vote, with hundreds of anti-voter bills being introduced across the country in order to once again throw up obstacles to the ballot box. We are called to ensure they are not successful.

“Democrats know the right to vote is sacred, and we will continue to fight for that right and all civil rights. We will continue pushing to send the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For the People Act to President Biden’s desk. We will honor the legacy of those who came before through good trouble.”