Statement by the Vice President on the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington

Sixty years ago, nearly a quarter of a million people marched on Washington to demand jobs and freedom. They came from every corner of our country. Gathering on the National Mall, they listened as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., shared his dream of an America that lives up to its promise: A nation without segregation and discrimination, with opportunity and equality for all. They heard from a young student organizer, the great John Lewis, who spoke of the importance of fighting to secure the sacred freedom to vote.

The March on Washington was a call to action for our nation. In the years to come, inspired by the passion and purpose of that day, Americans secured the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and other landmark victories in the fight for progress.

The March on Washington was historic, but it was neither the beginning nor the end of the movement for civil rights. The fight continued in the years after the passage of the Voting Rights Act, and the fight for civil rights continues today. Today, as extremist so-called leaders attempt to erase our history and roll back progress on voting rights, reproductive freedom, and LGBTQ+ equality, Americans are fighting for justice and equity.

Today, sixty years after that historic day, let us rededicate ourselves to the fight for equity, opportunity, and justice. And let us continue to work to secure our most foundational freedoms: the freedom to vote, the freedom of women to make decisions about their own bodies, and the freedom to live free from hate and violence.