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On May 17, 1957 civil rights activists gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to demand federal action on implementing the 3 year old Brown v Bd of Education.
Southern states were resisting Brown by nearly every means, defying the Supreme Court & advancing white supremacy. At this rally 3 yrs after Brown, #MartinLutherKing gave his first speech before a national audience.
The speech he gave - “Give Us The Ballot” - positioned voting rights at the center of the struggle for civil rights. It remains one of King’s most important speeches. On this 65th anniversary of Brown, it resonates just as powerfully. Voting rights remains the linchpin.
On Thursday morning May 16th, civil rts leaders & activists will gather on Capitol Hill to commemorate the 65th anniv of Brown. Our theme mirrors that of Dr. King: Give Us The Ballot. End voter suppression. Amend the Voting Rights Act. Reject judges who won’t embrace #BrownvBoard
READ Dr. King’s extraordinary “Give Us The Ballot” speech, delivered on the 3rd anniversary of Brown v Bd of Education. kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/do…
