Crowds descend on Mall for first-ever national rally for D.C. statehood – By Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff (The Washington Post) / June 27 2021
Looking out at the people across the National Mall, 54-year-old Dawn Craig, a third-generation Black Washingtonian from Brookland, was amazed. Thousands from across the country had come to her city Saturday to support not only voting rights, but D.C. statehood.
© Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post Union workers march in Washington on June 26 to support D.C. statehood.
“If our vote didn’t matter, then they wouldn’t try so hard to stop us from voting,” said Craig, wearing a black shirt with “Black Voters Matter” in big, white block letters. “It’s heartwarming to see so many people out here.”
The rally, organized by Black Voters Matter and more than 50 civil rights, voter rights and racial justice groups, capped off a nine-city, eight-day Freedom Ride for Voting Rights that began in New Orleans. During the five-hour gathering Saturday, activists and elected officials from around the country argued that D.C. statehood wasn’t a partisan issue, but one of civil rights, and that the U.S. Senate needs to act now.
“The fact that residents of D.C. don’t have congressional representation is an issue of racial justice,” said Akosua Ali, president of the NAACP’s D.C. chapter. “This is a call to action. Hold Joe Manchin accountable.”
