New post from the NAACP: MEDIA ADVISORY: 2020 Virtual March on Washington by Marc Banks

FOR PLANNING PURPOSES CONTACT:

Luke Foreman, lforeman@skdknick.com, (203) 803-8778

FOR INTERVIEW REQUEST CONTACT:

Marc Banks, dbanks@naacpnet.org, (410) 580-5701

Media Advisory

TODAY: 2020 Virtual March on Washington

Virtual Event to Feature Keynote Address from Rev. William Barber II and Remarks from NAACP President Derrick Johnson and Rep. Karen Bass, CBC Chair

Washington — Today, the 2020 Virtual March on Washington will conclude with a night of virtual programming, including a major keynote address from Rev. William Barber II, co-chair of The Poor People’s Campaign, and musical performances by award-winning artists. Speakers are expected to call for police accountability reform and mobilize voters ahead of the November elections. The virtual march and programming will air live at 2020march.com.

Tonight’s programming will follow the Commitment March, convened by Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King, III. The 2020 Virtual March on Washington will include a livestream of the Commitment March on 2020march.com, along with remarks from the families of Black people who have died at the hands of police officers; Rep. Karen Bass, CBC Chair; Lt. Garlin Gilchrist, Lt.Gov MI; Mayor Steve Benjamin, Columbia, SC; Melanie Campbell, President of National Coalition for Black Civic Participation; Dr. Glenda Glover, President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. The March will begin at 11:00 a.m. at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

WHO: The virtual event will be hosted by April Ryan with remarks from NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson, Rev. William Barber, II, and more.

WHAT: The 2020 Virtual March on Washington is part of a series of events led by the NAACP, National Action Network, and a coalition of civil rights partners—including Martin Luther King, III, and the families of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor — to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington.

WHEN: The virtual programming will start at 9:00 p.m. ET. Times below are ET and for planning purposes only.

• 9:15pm: Leon W. Russell, Chairman of NAACP Board of Directors
• 9:21pm: Beverly Smith, National President and CEO of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
• 9:24pm: Dr. David E. Marion
• 9:32pm: Dr. Everett Ward, President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
• 9:34pm: Dr. Yusef Salaam, speaker and activist, member of the “Exonerated Five”
• 9:36pm: Steven Reed, Mayor, Montgomery, AL
• 9:39pm: Performance from Burna Boy
• 9:44pm: Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán
• 9:46pm: Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz
• 9:47pm: Cavanaugh Bell
• 9:48pm: Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
• 9:49pm: Performance by Alvin Ailey Dance Company
• 9:55pm: Keynote address by Rev. William Barber II
• 10:26pm: Performance by Bebe Winans
• 10:32pm: Closing Remarks from NAACP President Derrick Johnson

The 2020 Virtual March on Washington will set forth a bold new Black agenda — advocating for comprehensive police accountability reform, economic empowerment, and equitable access to health care, education, and the voting booths. For more information, visit 2020march.com.

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ABOUT THE NAACP

Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons. The NAACP is a c4 organization (contributions are not tax-deductible), and we have a partner c3 organization known as the NAACP Empowerment Programs (contributions are fully tax-deductible as allowed by the IRS).

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund — also referred to as the NAACP-LDF was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but separated in 1957 to become a completely separate entity. It is recognized as the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization and shares our commitment to equal rights.

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