8 “63 MINUTES OF PEACE” – THE FASTEST GROWING GRASSROOTS CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN THE NATION

JOIN THE MOVEMENT TO CHANGE OUR NATION

Do you know why these community leaders from North Carolina, Virginia, and Florida ( with the black wristbands ) are smiling? They’ve joined the fastest growing grassroots civil rights movement in our nation – “63 Minutes of Peace”. For 63 minutes (starting at 3:00 pm on August 28, 2013) people from across this country are committing themselves to doing something positive, peaceful, and productive in their communities.

We picked August 28th because that was the day that the March on Washington took place. We choose 63 minutes because that was the year of the great March on Washington. We decided on a start time of 3:00 pm because that was the time that Martin Luther King Jr. began delivering the speech that changed the world.

So… at 3:00 pm, on August 28, 2013, you too can begin to change the world. Take 63 minutes of that day to mentor a young person; cut an elderly person’s lawn; read to your child; fill out a job or college application; study for an upcoming school exam; volunteer to help someone learn how to read; participate in a voter registration effort; or just do something, beginning at 3:00 pm on August 28, 2013, that is peaceful, positive, and productive. At 4:03 pm, whatever it is that you’ve done during those 63 minutes, you may find that, like Dr. King, you’ve begun changing your neighborhood, your country, or maybe even the world.

Most say that it took Dr. King about 17 minutes, from beginning to end, to finish his speech on August 28, 1963. Imagine what you can accomplish in 63 minutes on August 28, 2013. Peace!

12 JOIN “THE MARCH FOR JOBS AND JUSTICE”

JOIN US, ON AUGUST 28, 2013, AS WE MARCH ON THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Given the recent acquittal of George Zimmerman, this “March for Jobs and Justice” takes on even greater significance. Indeed, our permit (issued by the D.C. Police Department) to peaceably march on the Department of Justice on August 28, 2013, gives us an opportunity to send a message to Attorney General Eric Holder that we support a Department of Justice investigation into civil rights violations by Mr. Zimmerman.

“There is clearly precedent for this kind of investigation and prosecution by the Department of Justice”, said Van White, civil rights lawyer and founder of the Center for the Study of Civil and Human Rights Laws. White noted that “In 1964 when Mississippi state officials failed to prosecute the murderers of three civil rights workers (James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner) the Department of Justice successfully prosecuted the killers with conspiring to deprive the three civil right workers of their civil rights.”

“Similarily, a strong argument could be made that Zimmerman deprived Trayvon Martin of his civil rights when he took his life. Hopefully, citizens from across this country will join us in making that point at the steps of the Department of Justice on August 28, 2013.” White said. The March for Jobs and Justice (which begins at 8:30 am on August 28, 2013 at 600 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.) is just one of any number of events which celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington and which also draws attention to the serious issues which continue to frustrate a great many Americans fifty years after the ’63 March on Washington.

47 Planning Your Trip to the March

mowbus

After you’ve decided to go to the march, you’ll have to decide how you’ll get there and (if you should decide to stay over night) where you’ll stay once you get there.
There are a number of events which are planned to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. For example, the Civil Rights Conference and Commemorative March referenced in this web site are scheduled for August 27th and 28th respectively. The date of the activity that you attend will, of course, determine when and how you will get there. Similar to the march in ’63, some folks will drive and others may charter buses take them to Washington, D.C. Here’s a couple of ideas and options:

BY CAR OR CAR POOL:
For those of planning a “road trip” in your own car or in someone else’s car, there’s always your GPS or good ole MapQuest. MapQuest can be accessed by going to www.mapquest.com.

FOR SMALLER GROUPS:
Companies like Greyhound and Trailways have large capacity and commuter buses that leave from most U.S. cities and towns. Fares, scheduling, and ticketing information is available by going to www.trailways.com or www.greyhound.com.

FOR LARGER ORGANIZED GROUPS OF TRAVELERS:
With the right number of people, arranging for a charter bus to Washington, D.C. can make a lot of sense. Companies like US Coachways (uscoachways.com); Academy Bus (www.academybus.com); Trailways (www.trailways.com) all provide charter bus services. Of course there are many other companies that provide these services. Announcing and organizing through your church, synagogue, mosque, school, or community group, may be the best way to identify a sufficient number of people to make this approach most cost effective. Speak to your pastor, youth group leader, or other leaders to help you in this effort.

CHECK THIS SITE REGULARLY TO IDENTIFY OTHER MARCHERS LEAVING FROM YOUR AREA:
We get lots of emails from people across the country regarding how they will get to Washington, D.C. at the end of August. If you are arranging a charter bus, please use the CONTACT page on this website and we will post the date, time, and location (from which your charter will leave) on this page. In the meantime, below are some of the groups which have arranged charter buses. (NOTE: Please make sure you check the dates that these buses are leaving and returning – as their dates of travel may not coincide with the events which you want to attend. For example, some of these charters are being organized for a wonderful event arranged by SAN which will take place on August 24, 2013. However, if you want to attend the Civil Rights Conference on August 27th or the “March for Jobs and Justice” which will take place on August 28th (the date of the actual anniversary), you may want to make other arrangements. Better yet… if you have the time and resources, please attend all of the events. No matter what events you attend, making plans for your travel will ensure that you have a positive experience while in Washington. God Bless and safe travels!

1 IT’S OFFICIAL: THE CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM ON WHEELS (AFTER LEADING THE MARCH ON AUGUST 28TH) WILL BE PARKED IN THE NATIONAL MALL IN THE SHADOW OF THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL AND WASHINGTON MONUMENT

An official within the National Park Service has just confirmed that the Civil Rights Museum on Wheels (CRMOW) will be a part of the “Freedom Festival” which will take place on the National Mall during the week that our Nation celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the historic March on Washington.

The CRMOW is an authentic 1950s GMC transit bus (actually used during the period of segregation) which has been totally restored and equipped with a state of the art audio/visual system. This on board technology will allow passengers to “get on the bus” and actually hear Rosa Parks talk about what happened on the day she was arrested. Additionally, two drop down DVD screens will allow today’s “freedom riders” to see Doctor King deliver his ” I Have a Dream Speech ” and/or see other video presentations including a award winning video short on the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

JOIN us (and the Civil Rights Museum on Wheels) on August 28, 2013 as we March for Jobs and Justice!

4 STUDENTS FROM ALABAMA AND LOUISIANA SPEAK OUT ON CIVIL RIGHTS, POVERTY, AND VIOLENCE

When Jefferson Davis High School Social Studies teachers Shanesta Pettway and Aisha Taylor reached out to us through www50thanniversarymarchonwashington.com, we got an idea. Why not use modern day technology and facilitate the Alabama students’ virtual participation in the conference by having them participate via the world-wide web? There were two clear reasons to do this. One… Montgomery, Alabama is, arguably, the birth place of the America Civil Rights movement. Second, if we are serious about addressing the needs of our nation, we must encourage the next generation of civil rights leadership. This gave us the idea of inviting additional students to this discussion. However, we didn’t have to look very far. Three students from Tangipahoa Parish in Louisiana (who just finished an “anti-poverty and anti-peonage tour”) will join the students from Montgomery, Alabama in this exciting Student Speak Out. While these Louisiana students will be there with us at the Washington Court Hotel, the students from Jefferson Davis High School will participate (from Montgomery, Alabama) via the internet. Even after their panel discussion is finished, these students will continue to participate in the conference by listening, watching, and interacting with subsequent panelists and conference attendees. This is an exciting way to tap into technology and youth leadership. Special thanks to teachers Ms. Pettway Ms. Taylor; principal Bobby Abrams; former principal Cheryl Fountain; and Ms. Antoinette Harrell for having the vision and inspiration to educate their students (and the rest of us) in this manner.