The NAACP says the march for voting rights is not yet finished, and they’ve just walked nearly 900 miles to make their point. In what they’ve dubbed “America’s Journey for Justice” marchers from the NAACP, along with labor and community allies, left Selma, Alabama on August 1 and arrive in Washington today. They marched through much of the South demanding reform of the criminal justice system, restoration of the Voting Rights Act, sustainable living wage jobs, and affordable quality education. You’re invited to join the marchers as they cross the Memorial Bridge at 1 pm today, as well as participate in two days of activities, including an Interfaith Service and Legislative Teach-In tonight at 7 pm at the Washington Hebrew Congregation and an Advocacy Day Rally in Upper Senate Park tomorrow at 9 am.
Go to dclabor.org and click on calendar for complete details. Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1845, some 5,000 female cotton workers in and around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania struck for a 10-hour day. The next day, male trade unionists became the first male auxiliary when they gathered to protect the women from police attacks. The strike ultimately failed. In 1962, President Kennedy signed off on a $900 million dollar public-works bill for projects in economically depressed areas. And in 1970, more than 350,000 members of the United Auto Workers began a 69-day strike against General Motors. Today’s labor quote is by Quincy Bates, Southwestern Region Organizer for the NAACP: “We're marching for our lives, our votes, our jobs, our schools. Fifty years ago, they gave us the right to vote and fifty years later, we're being challenged again. This is my turn. This is my time. They did it for me and I will be doing it for someone else."
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