Virtual March on Washington

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II  has served as pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Goldsboro, North Carolina since 1993. He began the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival in honor of the original 1968 campaign founded by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And since 2013 he has been the leader of the “Moral Mondays,” a civil rights and social justice protest held every Monday at North Carolina’s state capital in Raleigh.

Three years ago, he and his group began planning for a march on D.C. to transform the agenda of the country in general and politicians in particular in the face of poverty and racism. The march was to have happened on June 20, 2020 but Washington withdrew the approval for a march due to social distancing requirements. Barber had hoped to draw 100,000 people to the march in memory of the 250,000 who attended Dr. King’s, historic “I Have a Dream” speech in D.C. in 1963. So if the planned-for assembly could not take place in person, how about a “virtual assembly” in its place?

And indeed, the planning has now shifted to a June 20/20 digital and social media gathering of low wealth people, moral and religious leaders, advocates, and people of conscience.

Rev. Barber is asking all those interested in being a part of this historical event to register in order to be sent the contact information to allow us to connect with the speeches and songs, and hear what a “Moral Agenda” has to offer at this time in our nation’s history. The overview of the June 20/20 event indicates that its purpose is to marshal collective voices to demonstrate the power of our communities. The Moral Agenda will demand that both major political parties address the interlocking injustices of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism.

In order to find out more about this event and to register, go to the website www.june2020.org. More specific information will be sent to those who register.