Marchers gather in Atlanta, across nation on 57th anniversary of March on Washington

ATLANTA — It’s been 57 years since the March on Washington and race relations once again are front and center.

Thousands of people gathered in Washington, D.C. on Friday to call for a commitment to justice and police reform. The event marked the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Georgians took center stage as crowds flooding the grounds around the reflecting pool and heard speeches from Martin Luther King III and his daughter, Yolanda. The 12-year-old is the first grandchild of King Jr.

“‘Genuine equality is why were are here today,” Yolanda King said. “We are going to be the generation who ends poverty here in America. The wealthiest nation on Earth, once and for all, now and forever.

The family of Ahmuad Arbery, a Georgia jogger killed by two white men near Savannah, also spoke, as did the families of George Floyd and Breona Taylor.

Channel 2′s Samantha Manning was at the Washington Mall, where Floyd’s sister spoke to the crowd about the nationwide protests since her brother’s killing at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer in May. His family called for police reform.

“We’re here and we have the power to make it happen,” Bridgett Floyd said.

The father of Jacob Blake, the man shot by a police officer and paralyzed in Kenosha, Wisconsin, gave an emotional plea for an end to inequality and pushed for police reform.

“Every person in the United State is going to stand up,” Jacob Blake Sr. said.

Marcus Arbery also spoke about fighting for his son, Ahmaud.

Rallies to mark the anniversary didn’t just happen in Washington. Channel 2′s Lori Wilson is in southwest Atlanta, where a small but vocal group marched on Peeples Street.

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The group had planned to join Friday’s march in the Capitol. But when Georgia became a COVID-19 hot spot, that plan changed. They decided for health and safety reasons to gather in front of the National Action Network’s local office.

Wilson spoke to the president of the Atlanta chapter, who said today is also about mobilizing voters and bringing attention to the national issues.

“It’s kind of shameful to know that we still have to deal with the same issues that have come back,” Ed McGee said. “People are getting hurt. People are hurting.”

Alecia Washington has been part of the National Action Network for two years. She said challenges around police violence against black men and women, like Arbery, Taylor and now Blake made her feel she had to come out.

“All of their lives mattered, and up to this point, nothing has really been important to hold police accountable,” Washington said.

While those who held signs demanding police reform understand change takes time, they said they want leaders to hear that some matters need to be addressed urgently.

“To make sure that no one comes in and tries to take away our civil rights as far as voting, and suppress it in any way,” Washington said. “We have to see a change where people can work together, and that’s all people.”

Cox Media Group