A coalition of civil rights leaders, including Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III, has announced plans for a "March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote" on August 28, 2026. The event will mark the 63rd anniversary of the historic 1963 March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.
The march aims to pressure lawmakers and rally support for voting rights protections following the Supreme Court's April ruling that weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Organizers argue the decision has eroded key protections against racial discrimination in voting and electoral maps.
The coalition includes the National Action Network, the NAACP, the National Urban League, and the League of United Latin American Citizens. The event is expected to draw civil rights and faith leaders, as well as community organizers.
Some Republicans have defended the Supreme Court's decision, arguing that race-conscious redistricting is unconstitutional. Sharpton, however, called the ruling "a bullet in the heart of the voting rights movement." The march follows a Wall Street demonstration last year protesting corporate America's retreat from diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Martin Luther King III stated, "Defending the vote means defending the foundation of our democracy. Sixty-three years after my father stood at the Lincoln Memorial, we are called to march again, not only in remembrance, but in action."