The “March On for Voting Rights” will host its flagship event in Washington DC, but marches will also take place in other major cities, including Atlanta, Miami, Phoenix and Houston.
Marchers in Washington will gather at the Lincoln Memorial to commemorate the 58th anniversary of the historic 1963 civil rights march on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
Millions of people are expected to attend marches throughout the country, according to a press release from March On for Voting Rights organizers.
Here’s what you need to know.
Where will the march take place?
The main march will be held in Washington, but there are other marches planned in more than 40 cities and towns across the US on Saturday.
What time will the main march begin?
The schedule for main event in Washington DC is as follows:
- 8 a.m. EDT: Pre-rally at McPherson Square begins
- 9 a.m. EDT: Press set up starts at National Mall
- 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EDT: Marching from McPherson Square to National Mall
- 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT: Main speaker program on the National Mall
What is the march route for the March on Washington?
People will gather at 8 a.m. at McPherson Square Park at 15th St., NW, and H Street, to march from McPherson Square past Black Lives Matter Plaza, passing the White House and Washington Monument.
The closing rally will take place with the backdrop of the National Mall, entering at 12th St. and Madison Drive, gathering from 7th St. to 14th St. between Jefferson Dr. and Madison Drive.
What is the purpose of this march?
The bill, which increases the power of the federal government and racial minorities to block or challenge election rules they find discriminatory, was passed by the House on Tuesday.
“If you want to understand why the vote is so important, look at the last 4 years, the last 10 years, and the last 100 years,” Rev. Al Sharpton, who heads the National Action Network, said in a statement “Freedom fighter and Congressman John Lewis knew it was essential that every vote must count in order to assure every voice is represented, but unfortunately through federal voter suppression and gerrymandering, that hasn’t been the case.”
“Whether in Congress, in the streets, or during our March On for Voting Rights, this is the summer of activism,” he added.
Who sponsored and funded the march?
The march is sponsored by Drum Major Institute, March On, the National Action Network, Future Coalition, SEIU, and 51 for 51, and is funded by the #ForJohn campaign.
Who will be on stage?
Elected officials, civil rights leaders, youth organizers, community activists and others will join Rev. Sharpton, Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King on the stage.
“Coretta Scott King told us, ‘Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation,'” Arndrea Waters King, Drum Major Institute president, said in a statement. “Now is the time to earn and win our sacred right to vote. It is up to us to remind Congress they represent the people, and the people demand the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Restoration Act.”
CNN’s Alex Rogers and Nicquel Terry Ellis contributed to this report.
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