By Amy V. Simmons
One of the main messages from all the speakers during last Saturday’s 60th Anniversary March on Washington event on DC’s National Mall was that it was not a commemoration, but a continuation. It was especially important for the elders present to emphasize to the young people present that each generation has to fight to maintain the hard fought for rights won by their predecessors.
As those present at the Lincoln Memorial and later at the MLK statue both young and old recommitted to the work left to be done — including busloads of participants from Florida — the point about it being a continuation was driven home in a horrific manner.
In Jacksonville, a 21-year-old white supremacist, after first being chased away from a HBCU campus by a security guard, shot and killed three African Americans at a Dollar General store and in its parking lot before turning the gun on himself.
National Action Network founder and civil rights activist, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Drum Major Institute board chair Martin Luther King, III, and his wife, Drum Major Institute president Arndrea Waters King, and the Anti-Defamation League’s national director and CEO Jonathan Greenblatt released the following statement in response:
“While thousands of people from all walks of life — Black, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, White, Latino, Sikh, Hindu, LGBTQ+, young and old — marched today in our nation’s capital for the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, a white man in Jacksonville, Florida, motivated by a sheer desire to kill Black people, opened fire at a dollar store, killing three people, all Black.
The assailant, who is now deceased, was seen earlier in the day at Edward Waters University, an historically Black college, where witnesses claim he was seen donning a ballistic vest and mask before going to the dollar store.
According to authorities, the shooter left behind a racist manifesto expressing his hateful ideology and intention to target and kill Black people. Additionally, officials shared images of the weapons used in the attack, revealing that the gunman’s rifle was adorned with bigoted rhetoric and hateful symbols, including swastikas.
This hate is abhorrent, detestable, beyond humanity, and must be condemned by all. We all need to come together in solidarity in standing up to the evils of white supremacy and intolerance of all forms. Such bigotry should have no place in our society. And it is a reminder that the hate-fueled violence that Dr. King called out sixty years ago and that we condemned today from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, aren’t antiquated concerns, but remain a clear and present danger that threatens us all.
As we continue to march for justice and equality, we also mourn the lives those lost today and send our hearts and prayers to the victims and their families.”
NAACP president & CEO Derrick Johnson released the following statement, condemning the act of hatred and calling for the ban of assault weapons:
“It’s a sad day in America when we realize that extremists will stop at nothing to undermine our work to thrive. As we continued the march for freedom in Washington, hateful actors continued to carry out the white supremacist agenda in Jacksonville, claiming the lives of Black Americans in the name of an era we refuse to go back to. Today’s tragedy is a reminder of why we march, and why we will stop at nothing to ensure that democracy works for everybody. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who stand to be forever impacted by today’s acts of hatred. Enough is enough. We must ban assault weapons now.”
SUN publisher and NAACP Philadelphia Branch president Catherine Hicks also reflected upon the meaning of the original March contrasted with the burden of the work yet to do — especially when it comes to racism and the need for an assault weapons ban:
“Today our neighborhoods are at war. Every day another body is added to the list of casualties of this war. Just this past weekend in Jacksonville, Florida there was another mass shooting where a gunman used an automatic assault style weapon, taking the lives of three innocent people — a hate crime targeted against the African American community. When will we take the stand to ban these weapons and ensure that they do not get in the hands of those who are mentally unstable? As we commemorate the March on Washington and the iconic “I Have A Dream” speech the reality is we still have a long way to go and much to still accomplish.”
“Many of our youth today do not realize the struggles those who marched 60 years ago endured,” Hicks said. “It is up to us to teach and remind them of these struggles. It is up to all of us to ensure that we do not go backwards and that we keep the legacy of those who marched on this day alive.”
“The NAACP continues to advocate for racial justice, voting rights, education equity, criminal justice reform, and economic empowerment,” Hicks concluded. “The anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington serves as a reminder that the fight for equality is ongoing and that it requires the continued dedication and collaboration of individuals, communities, and organizations like the NAACP.
By commemorating this anniversary, the NAACP aims to honor the legacy of those who fought for civil rights and to inspire future generations to carry the torch forward. It serves as a reminder that progress is possible and that the pursuit of justice and equality is a collective responsibility that extends beyond any one organization or individual.”
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