A diverse group of marchers head for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, to participate in The Virtual March on Washington this past weekend.

Contributed by March on Washington

Photos by

Michael Mitchell

The Cincinnati Herald

The 2020 Virtual March on Washington in sweltering heat this past weekend brought forward a bold National Black agenda in observance of the 57th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.

The Banks family: Jeff Banks, a native of Cincinnati, attends the March in DC. He is with his wife Stacie Lee Banks, who owner and operator of Lee’s Flowers and Cards, the oldest florist in DC which was started by her grandparents in 1945. They are shown with their daughter Samarah Banks.

Accompanying virtual events with music performances and keynote speakers were on the nights of August 27 and 28.  This inclusive day of action channeled the soaring energy from this national moment of reckoning and will call for reforms of the systems, structures, policies, and attitudes that enable police brutality, racial discrimination. Organizers also executed a robust civic engagement effort with multiple levers of change, including registering participants to vote and encouraging them to participate in the Census.

Congresswoman Ayanna Presley (D- Massachusetts)
spoke at the event.

“If there ever was a year that underscored the importance of collective action, and the significance of Civil Rights activism, it is the year 2020,” organizers said.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of National Action Network, addresses the audience at The Virtual March on Washington.

“After months of protests, online petitions, campaigns, and boycotts, we’ve seen firsthand the power we have to bring about systemic change if only we demand it. And although we’ve made some progress, we can’t stop now, they added.

Marc Morial, President of the National Urban League, was one of the speakers.

Occurring just days after both the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention, thousands of orderly people from throughout the country joined the virtual march to mobilize ahead of the November elections. Most wore masks in protection against the coronavirus.

“BLACK FOLKS MUST VOTE” was one of the many signs
seen at The Virtual March on Washington participants displayed
during the weekend.

The 2020 Virtual March on Washington was about asking everyone — from protesters in the streets to elected officials at all levels of government — to commit to pursuing a new agenda that prioritizes equity, justice, and equal opportunity for all. As we approach the November elections, we must mobilize to vote we’ve never done before, speakers often repeated.

The Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool at the Nation’s Capital is lined during The V ritual March on Washington activities.

“This is our opportunity to set forth a bold new Black agenda. On August 28, we made history, and he question is, will you be a part of it?’’ they stated.

Paul Booth, Director of the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Human Relations, was spotted at the airport in Washington, DC, as he was heading home from The Virtual March on Washington.

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