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From VOA Learning English, this is In the News. |
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President Barack Obama |
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this week joined hundreds of thousands of Americans |
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across the country in marking the 50th anniversary |
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of the March on Washington for civil rights. |
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The president noted what he called |
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"unfinished business" in the struggle |
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for equality and justice in the United States. |
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His comments come at a time |
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when Americans are talking about civil rights |
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and race relations. |
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Some are still reacting |
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to a Florida court's decision |
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in the murder trial of George Zimmermann. |
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The jury found the neighborhood watch volunteer |
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not guilty in the shooting death |
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of Trayvon Martin, |
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a 17-year-old African American. |
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On August 28, 1963, 250,000 people |
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marched in Washington for jobs and civil rights. |
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It was the biggest demonstration of its kind. |
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Many people stood outside the Lincoln Memorial |
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to hear speakers talk about civil rights |
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for African Americans. |
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The march ended |
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with civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. |
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giving his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. |
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His comments energized |
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the civil rights movement in the United States |
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and led to important laws, |
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including the Civil Rights Act of 1964. |
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The law bars major forms of discrimination |
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against minorities and women. |
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Last Wednesday, |
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the nation's first black president |
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stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. |
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Mr. Obama remembered King |
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and the sacrifices |
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of those who marched here in Washington. |
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He said the marchers brought change |
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not only for African Americans, |
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but also for other groups |
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and for those hoping for freedom around the world. |
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The president's speech marked one of the first times |
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since he took office in 2009 |
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that he has spoken about issues of race. |
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It also came two months after the nation's highest court |
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ruled against part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. |
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Mr. Obama said those who suggest |
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little has changed in America dishonor |
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the marchers of 50 years ago. |
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At the same time, |
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he said work toward racial equality is not complete. |
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The president noted that challenges to voting rights, |
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high unemployment rates and other problems need attention. |
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"To secure the gains that this country has made |
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requires constant vigilance, |
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not complacency, whether by challenging those |
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who erect new barriers to the vote, |
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or ensuring that the scales of justice work |
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equally for all, and the criminal justice system |
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is not simply a pipeline |
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from under-funded schools to overcrowded jails. |
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It requires vigilance." |
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The crowd on the National Mall |
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here in Washington |
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also heard from present-day civil rights leaders, |
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movie stars and two former U.S. presidents. |
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Like Mr. Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter |
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belong to the Democratic Party. |
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Mr. Carter also criticized the Supreme Court decision |
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on the Voting Rights Act. |
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"I believe we all know |
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how Dr. King would have reacted |
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to the new ID requirements |
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to exclude certain voters, |
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especially African Americans. |
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I think we all know how Dr. King would have reacted |
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to the Supreme Court striking down |
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a crucial part of the Voters Rights Act |
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just recently passed overwhelmingly by Congress." |
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Another speaker was Martin Luther King's youngest child, |
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Bernice King. |
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She spoke about her father's message |
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to "Let Freedom Ring." |
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"Today, 50 years later, my friends, |
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we are still crippled by practices |
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and policies steeped in racial pride, |
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hatred and hostility, |
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some of which have us standing our ground |
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rather than finding common ground." |
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Some people in the crowd |
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also took part in the 1963 march. |
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They said they are prepared |
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to keep the dream of racial equality alive. |
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And that's In the News, |
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from VOA Learning English. I'm Avi Arditti. |
