50TH Anniversary of the March on Washington Spurs Reflection and Action Against Regressive Southern Legislation
50 years ago today, over 200,000 people gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and along the National Mall in Washington, DC for what would become one of the largest protests in United States history, and what would be remembered as one of the most inspirational moments of the civil rights movement. However this moment was preceded and followed by violent demonstrations of racial hatred as local organizers pushed to build leadership and power across the South. Beyond building political representation for Black communities in the South, the movement also sought to develop critical consciousness and power outside of exclusionary systems, an ongoing process often eclipsed by the concrete political wins that would follow. However it is this consciousness raising and the relentless challenging of the accepted Rule of Law through civil disobedience that made these wins possible. And thus we honor not only the moment, but the movement, and all those who came before us in the fight for dignity and justice.
As we reflect on the legacy of the civil rights movement, and the renowned speech that in itself reflected back upon the 100 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, we must ask ourselves how we claim our history and reshape our future as a part the Southern resistance, both within the context of the U.S. and the Global South. In Texas, we are geopolitically situated at a crossroads between restrictive voting legislation, discriminatory practices against the LGBTQ community, race-silent policies that do not reflect the politics of power, and dehumanizing spaces that allow for the policing and criminalization black, brown, and migrant bodies. 50 years ago, Southern people organized themselves, identified their demands, and fought for their vision for dignity. The realities of the South became visible to the world with the March on Washington. 50 years since, the South has experienced different trials and triumphs. And our movement will continue to organize for the self-determination of the people.
With the upsurge in regressive legislation, now is the time to strengthen our communities through critical political education and building regional dialogue between and within communities of color across the South and Southwest. It is in this vein that Southwest Workers Union creates space for the Universidad Sin Fronteras, the Underground Library, and other leadership development opportunities that take education and critical thought outside of the traditional systems and into our community. And it is in this sprit that we join in the regional Day of Dignity across the South. On today’s anniversary in nine Southern cities, community members will organize to define the reality on the ground and envision the future of the Southern Freedom Movement in the 21st century.
SWU will host community platica on race, policy, and action on Wednesday, August 28 from 6-8pm at our offices on1416 E. Commerce St. We invite the community to join us in honoring the legacy of this day with dialogue, vision, and action.
“As goes the South, so goes the nation” W.E.B. DuBois
