Hillary Clinton on the Anniversary of the March on Washington
In honor of the 53rd anniversary of the March on Washington tomorrow, Hillary Clinton issued the following statement:
“Tomorrow,
we mark the date on which hundreds of thousands of Americans marched on
Washington on behalf of human rights. Standing in front of the Lincoln
Memorial, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. uttered words now etched forever
in our nation’s history:
‘I have a dream, that one day this
nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold
these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’
“His
call to action sparked the momentum needed to pass the Voting Rights
Act – knocking down legal barriers that had stood for generations, and
ensuring every American could exercise their constitutional right to
vote.
“In 2016, we’ve come a long way since the days of Jim Crow.
Yet too many Americans still face systemic racism and constant assaults
on their franchise. Something is profoundly wrong when decades after
Dr. King addressed the nation, so many Americans still feel that their
country values them less, simply because of the color of their skin.
“That’s
just one reason why the stakes in this election are unlike any we have
faced before. Those brave men and women who marched, and sat, and bled
for civil rights in America must not have done so in vain.
“As
President, I’ll stand up to bluster and bigotry, and fight back against
efforts to restrict access to the ballot. Let’s make it easier for
people to vote, not harder. Let’s make sure every state has at least 20
days of in-person voting, and no one ever has to wait more than 30
minutes to cast their ballot. And let’s automatically register every
American to vote on their 18th birthday.
“The power of American
democracy comes from the fact that no one is left behind – no matter
where they come from, what they look like, or who they love. That’s
what I mean when I say that we’re stronger together.
“So today,
let’s continue to be inspired by the self-evident truths that first
united our nation, and live up to what a young minister dreamed and
declared fifty-three years ago.”
