Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson attended the 50th Anniversary March on Washington "Realize the Dream" March & Rally.

Washington, DC – (Saturday, August 24, 2013) – Today, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, along with the Congressional Black Caucus, and other civil rights organizations, attended the 50th Anniversary March on Washington “Realize the Dream” March & Rally. This march was held to commemorate the 1963 “Jobs and Freedom” March on Washington, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Congresswoman Johnson spoke at the Pre-Rally at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

“Fifty years ago hundreds of thousands of people descended upon the nation’s capital to raise their voices in demand for jobs and freedom. High rates of crime and poverty in African American communities throughout the U.S. were the driving force behind the largest march that our country had ever seen during that time. But with the passing of the 1963 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, sentiments of hope and change began to resonate throughout the nation,” said Congresswoman Johnson.

Congresswoman Johnson continued, “The United States has made tremendous strides in our fight for equality, yet today we find ourselves once again pleading for the reimplementation and reauthorization of legislation that protected so many minorities. The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down one of the most prominent achievements from the Civil Rights era, further implicates how our struggle for equality is not over. We are seeing a rise of discriminatory voting laws throughout states like Texas that suppress the votes of minorities. We also have members of Congress who are adamantly against protecting the rights of all Americans under the law. All Americans should have the opportunity to achieve their version of the American Dream, but we must remove barriers that impede them from doing so. If Dr. King was alive today, he would acknowledge how far we have come in our struggle for racial and economic equality, but he would implore us all to do our part to advance the dream for future generations.”

###

  U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a Ranking member of the Science Committee. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Kessler Park, Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, South Dallas & South Oak Cliff; all of Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Ferris, Glenn Heights, South Grand Prairie, Oak Lawn, Ovilla, Uptown/Victory Park and West Dallas