MtV Group Attend March on Washington: Defend the Vote

RWB Mt. Vernon Group members who would like to coordinate participating in this march can contact Tish Toner directly at [email protected] by Wednesday, August 26th. 
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Join National Action Network, People Power United, and many more organizations in the
March on Washington 2026: “Defend the Vote”

The March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote will take place Friday, August 28, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., marking the 63rd anniversary of the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom AFRO American Newspapers.

Purpose and Themes:  Organized by the National Action Network (NAN), the Drum Major Institute, and a coalition of civil rights, labor, faith, and community groups, the march is a direct response to recent legal setbacks that have weakened federal protections against racial discrimination in voting TheGrio.

 Key themes include:

Location:  Lincoln Memorial  - 2 Lincoln Memorial Cir NW, Washington, DC 20002

About this event:  As America marks its 250th anniversary, we face a defining question: Will this nation finally live up to its promises—or allow politicians serving wealth, prejudice, and power to strip them away?

For 250 years, ordinary people have organized, marched, sacrificed, and refused to stay silent until America moved closer to its promise of equality. Every expansion of freedom happened because people showed up and demanded change.

Now it is our turn.

On Friday, August 28, 2026, people from across the country will gather at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., for the March on Washington: Defend the Vote. Hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton, the National Action Network, and the Drum Major Institute, the march will joined by Martin Luther King III and other civil rights leaders to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a ​Dream” speech.

But this is more than a commemoration. It is a call to action.

We are gathering around three urgent pillars: Voting Rights, Economic, Dignity, and Affordability. Together, we will demand a multiracial, multigenerational democracy grounded in dignity, safety, opportunity, equality, and power to the people.

The work is unfinished, and we refuse to go backward.

Please note: This is a peaceful gathering. We do not condone violence in any form, nor do we encourage anyone to break the law. Our work is rooted in peaceful advocacy and the exercise of our constitutional rights—including voting, free speech, peaceful assembly, rallies, and protest.

We use these time-honored tools, as generations of Americans have before us, to defend our rights, freedoms, the rule of law, and our democracy. Together, we will protect the right to vote and build an America that lives up to its promise of liberty and justice for all.

The coalition — led by Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network and joined by Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, and labor and ‌civil rights groups — said they will host ‌the "March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote" march on August 28. That will mark the 63rd anniversary of the 1963 March on ⁠Washington for Jobs ⁠and Freedom and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

Rev. Al Sharpton calls it “part of history, not just a witness to it,” urging people to bring families, churches, unions, and communities to fill the streets AFRO American Newspapers.
Martin Luther King III says, “Defending the vote means defending the foundation of our democracy” TheGrio.

Historical Context:  The 1963 march drew about 250,000 people to the Lincoln Memorial, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. It helped galvanize support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 AFRO American Newspapers.

Political Backdrop:  The 2026 march comes months after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a provision used to challenge discriminatory voting laws and redistricting TheGrio. Civil rights leaders describe the ruling as “a bullet in the heart” of the voting rights movement TheGrio.

Participants and Partners - The coalition includes: