by Vee Hua 華婷婷
Today marks the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which brought an estimated 250,000 individuals to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in 1963. At the height of the Civil Rights Movement and just following the Birmingham Campaign, the March on Washington was where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. recited his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. The event also called for equality and economic justice for Black Americans.
Despite the successful turnout, the impacts of the March on Washington were two-fold. Weeks after the event, four little girls were bombed in the basement of a Birmingham church in an act of terrorism by the Ku Klux Klan; by the end of 1963 President John Kennedy had been assassinated. Nonetheless, the following years saw the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
National Action Network and Drum Major Institute co-hosted a 60th Anniversary commemoration of the March on Washington this past weekend, where thousands once again gathered. The five-hour program was billed as "not a commemoration [but] a continuation" of the previous demonstration. It signaled that the fight for civil rights is far from over, yet carried updated messages more suitable for current times. A number of speakers, including Rev. Al Sharpton and civil rights activist Martin Luther King III, connected the struggles of Black Americans with poverty, gun violence, police brutality, systemic racism, voting rights, and much more.
NPR reported that a number of March on Washington organizers met with Attorney General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke on Friday to discuss "a range of issues, including policing, redlining and voting rights." AP reported that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with organizers of the 1963 gathering and the family of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today.
The 60th Anniversary comes just days after a racially-motivated shooting and hate crime in Jacksonville, Florida, killed three Black people at a Dollar General store in a predominantly Black neighborhood.
Moananuikea is a voyage that will take place from 2023 to 2027, featuring Hkle'a and Hikianalia, two traditional Polynesian voyaging canoes. Led by the Polynesian Voyaging Society, the journey will circumnavigate the Pacific Ocean and is anticipated to cover 43,000 nautical miles over 47 months. Along the way, the boats will visiting 36 countries or archipelagoes, nearly 100 Indigenous territories, and 345 ports. The voyage aims to build awareness around the "move from exploration and understanding to mlama, or caring, and kuleana, or taking responsibility" towards collectively supporting a healthier ocean and planet.
Over the weekend, Hkle'a landed in Seattle, with an arrival ceremony that took place at Elliott Bay and the Pier 62 Waterfront. They were escorted and greeted by Suquamish and Muckleshoot canoes, as well as public officials, Native Hawaiians, and representatives from other local tribal communities. Its arrival comes just weeks after the fires in Lhain devastated the historic Hawaiian town.
The Hkle'a will spend four days in Seattle before it moves on to Tacoma later this week. Its regional sailing plan, which is subject to change, is as follows:
The Climate Pledge Arena Community Fund is now open for applications. In line with the City of Seattle's Race and Social Justice Initiative, "the fund shall support youth-focused programs and projects that use arts, music, and culture as strategies to drive racial equity and social justice." Nonprofits within Seattle or primarily serving the Seattle community are eligible to apply.
According to the grant website, competitive applicants should be effective in:
Applications are due Sept. 15, 2023, and all applicants will be notified no later than Oct. 31. Each applicant will receive no more than $10,000, and the fund has a total of $75,000 to disburse in its first year.
Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer with semi-nomadic tendencies. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the editor-in-chief of REDEFINE, a long-time member of the Seattle Arts Commission, and a film educator at the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they previously served as executive director and played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences. After a recent stint as the interim managing editor at South Seattle Emerald, they are moving into production on their feature film, Reckless Spirits, which is a metaphysical, multilingual POC buddy comedy. They have a master's in Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship under the American Indian Studies Department at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.
📸 Featured Image: The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Joachim Prinz pictured in 1963. (Photo courtesy of the Center for Jewish History, I-77, CJH_ALEPH005535252)
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Before you move on to the next story …
The South Seattle Emerald™ is brought to you by Rainmakers. Rainmakers give recurring gifts at any amount. With around 1,000 Rainmakers, the Emerald™ is truly community-driven local media. Help us keep BIPOC-led media free and accessible.
If just half of our readers signed up to give $6 a month, we wouldn’t have to fundraise for the rest of the year. Small amounts make a difference.
We cannot do this work without you. Become a Rainmaker today!
