Walking shoes required: 250 miles on a quest for justice
#March2Justice: “Together, we can change the landscape of this nation and prove once and for all that ALL men and women are created equal. And we ALL have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Day 1:
Today, April 13, hundreds of supporters showed up to the Staten Island New York Justice League kickoff of #March2Justice — a 9-day, 250-mile journey from New York to Washington D.C. — which aims to bring attention to the national crisis of police violence and overuse of authority against civilians.
From the website:
“We MARCH in solidarity with our elders, our youth, our incarcerated brothers and sisters, and the families and communities of those impacted by police brutality. We MARCH on behalf of Eric Garner. And Akai Gurley. And Jesse Hernandez. And Rekia Boyd. And Tamir Rice. And Michael Brown. And Renisha McBride. And London Colvin. And John Crawford III. And Miriam Carey. And Anthony Baez. And Ramarley Graham.”
#March2Justice will travel through five states and end with a concert and rally at the National Mall in D.C. on Tuesday, April 21. The group will deliver the “Justice Package” to legislators on the hill which consists of “legislation which will end racial profiling, demilitarize our police forces and shift juvenile justice from institutionalization to prevention,” according to the website.
Comprised of a multi-ethnic, multi-generational group of New Yorkers, the NY Justice League organized several protests in New York in the wake of the death of Eric Garner who was killed by a chokehold by an NYPD officer. His last words, “I can’t breathe,” became a rallying cry against police brutality. The group has ties to politics, the arts, civil rights, social justice and labor groups.
The three women leading the charge are Carmen Perez, co-founder of NY Justice League and executive director of The Gathering for Justice, founded by entertainer and civil rights leader Harry Belafonte, Tamika Mallory, former executive director of the National Action Network (NAN), founded by civil rights leader, Rev. Al Sharpton and Linda Sarsour, director of the Arab American Association of New York and White House Champion of Change.
Notes from the road:
Since our loved ones CAN walk and CAN breathe, we have a responsibilty to walk for those who cannot. — Tamika Malory
After eight hours of walking and close to 20 miles, the tired and hungry marchers made it to the Willing Heart Community Care Center in Newark, New Jersey as they were greeted by supporters.
Tomorrow, the group will be joined by more supporters as they make their way to Trenton, New Jersey.
