The U.S. Consulate General in Lagos today marked the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and the “I Have a Dream” Speech by Rev. King, Jr. by participating in the worldwide screening of the documentary titled “The March,” a 1964 documentary by James Blue.

The 40-minute film describes what took place during the 1963 civil rights March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, one of the largest political rallies for human rights in United States history. The March, in which about 250,000 Americans participated, called for civil and economic rights for African Americans. It took place in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, August 28, 1963. During the march, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech advocating for racial harmony. The March is widely credited with helping to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Welcoming the guests, Financial Management Officer at the U.S. Consulate, Mr. Carl Scotts, said the programme was a follow-up to the Consulate’s programme on the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. He said he expected the documentary to serve as a reminder of the importance of the march and the need to continue to fight for freedom and equality all over the world.

President of Campaign for Democracy, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, highlighted the lessons learnt from the film as including the need to employ Martin Luther King Jr’s method of peaceful protest and the need for all to unite in the fight against inequality all over the world. She urged Nigerians not to be divided along religious or ethnic lines but to come under the same umbrella to stand up against discrimination, injustice and corruption in Nigeria. “We shall not go violent and we will not be provoked to go violent but we shall move together to make Nigeria great again,” she said.

Other guests at the event include the Executive Director of ACTS Generation, an NGO that guards against domestic violence and abuse. Ms. Laila St. Matthew-Daniels, Founder and Executive Director, African Sustainable Small Enterprise Export Development Foundation (ASSEED), Ms. Shade Bembatoum-Young, Ms. Lucy Kanu, Mr. Femi Segun, Mr. Busola Holloway and Mr. Rotimi Von.

•Photo: Late Martin Luther King Jr. giving one of his famous speeches.

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