MANSFIELD — On Aug. 28, thousands will gather at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC for the 57th anniversary of the historical 1963 March on Washington, including some Mansfield locals.
Richland Source and Mansfield local Traishaun Beard will also be in attendance. Beard will not only be celebrating Martin Luther King’s infamous “I Have a Dream” speech, but also her birthday.
“We just want for our voices to be heard and to see some change in the justice system in America,” Beard said. “I think I’m going to see a lot of Black people, I think a lot of people are going to be inspired to maybe even play a bigger role in the fight with civil rights.”
After the recent killing of George Floyd back in June, Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network (NAN), dedicated the event in Floyd’s honor, as well as other Black Americans who’ve lost their lives to police brutality, dubbing it the ‘Get Off Our Necks’ Commitment March on Washington.
Special guests and keynote speakers will include: Rev. Al Sharpton and the NAN; Martin Luther King, III; Attorney Benjamin Crump; the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner and more.
In compliance with COVID-19 Washington, DC Health Guidance for Conservation of Personal Protective Equipment, guests are required to wear a PPE mask in public in Washington, DC. The event will take place at the Lincoln Memorial and will go from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to a schedule posted online.
Beard will come prepared with signs and shirts, and she looks forward to sharing her voice.
“I’m a people person, I believe in peace and I believe that we can always talk things through if everybody’s open minded to the outcome,” Beard said.
