Rayceen Pendarvis was invited to serve as the emcee for the opening rally of The March For Racial Justice. The event served as an opportunity to “mobilize organizations, groups and individuals to stand together for racial justice in Washington, DC.”
Their mission was to give voice to issues such as racism, white supremacy, immigration, class inequality, and antisemitism. The coalition of groups and organizations that organized the event ultimately aimed to “create a just and equitable future for communities of color.”
The date of September 30th was specifically chosen because it marked the anniversary of the Elaine Massacre in Elaine, Arkansas. On this date in 1919, approximately 100 to 240 black Americans were massacred in response to over 100 black sharecroppers daring to organize themselves as the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America.
The workers demanded better pay from white plantation owners, who responded with widespread violence. Subsequently, several hundred peopled were unjustly killed and 122 people were unjustly imprisoned by a mob of white citizens and law enforcement. The massacre was one of many lynchings and race riots that took place in over 30 cities that year. Collectively, these events came to be known as the Red Summer of 1919.
Participants in The March For Racial Justice were instructed to gather in Lincoln Park for the opening rally, which was hosted by Pendarvis (see images above and below).
The rally and march were attended by many, but Pendarvis was extremely pleased to meet Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian-American political activist (see image below). Ms. Sarsour had previously been named one of Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People." Furthermore, during the presidency of Barack Obama, the White House recognized Sarsour as a "champion of change!"
After the opening rally, participants were instructed to march toward their next destination, the US Department of Justice in the Capitol Hill area of Washington, DC.
The March For Racial Justice simultaneously took place at the same time as the March For Black Women. The later march was billed as a mass mobilization centered on Black women for “our security and safety, our human rights and our freedoms.”
Organizers for both groups agreed to meet at a predesignated location, then join forces and continue marching in solidarity.
As participants marched through the streets of Washington, they chanted “Black Lives Matter” and “Black Women Matter”. They stopped at the US Department of Justice where women were asked to turn their backs while men kneeled down in protest. Upon leaving, organizers left a list of names in front of the building (see image below).
Eventually, everyone gathered at the National Mall for several hours of speeches and presentations. The festivities culminated with two powerful women addressing the crowd - Gloria Steinem (see image below), a nationally recognized feminist, social/political activist, and Ms. Magazine founder, and Gina Belafonte (see image below), actress, activist, and daughter of entertainer and social justice advocate Harry Belafonte.
Click below to view a collection of images from the opening rally in Lincoln Park, both marches, and the closing rally on the National Mall.
Click below to view video highlights from the march.
#M4RJ marching on @TheJusticeDept. Thousands moving through Capitol Hill chanting NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE. pic.twitter.com/mgH4Bi7pGU— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) September 30, 2017
Click the image below to view C-Span coverage of the march, as well as various speeches and performances on the National Mall.
For more information visit: The March For Racial Justice
