Key facts
- Civil rights leaders announced a 'March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote' to defend voting rights.
- The march is scheduled for August 28, the 63rd anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.
- The event is a response to a Supreme Court ruling that weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
- Organizers aim to pressure lawmakers and counter the erosion of voting protections.
- Key figures include Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III.
- The coalition includes major civil rights and labor organizations.
Civil rights leaders have announced plans for a major march on Washington to defend voting rights, citing recent court decisions that have weakened federal protections against racial discrimination. The event, dubbed 'March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote,' is scheduled for August 28, marking the 63rd anniversary of the historic 1963 march and Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech. The coalition, spearheaded by Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network and including Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King, aims to pressure lawmakers and galvanize a response to what they describe as the erosion of voting protections. A central focus of the campaign is the Supreme Court's April ruling that weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a critical provision used to challenge discriminatory voting laws and electoral maps. Organizers emphasized the significance of the ruling, with Martin Luther King III stating that 'Defending the vote means defending the foundation of our democracy.' The coalition comprises numerous civil rights and labor groups, including the American Federation of Teachers, the NAACP, and the National Urban League. U.S. Representative Yvette Clarke and other members of Congress are expected to attend. Several states have moved to redraw congressional maps following the Supreme Court's ruling, including in Alabama where judges have upheld a redistricting process that will eliminate one of the state’s two majority-Black districts in this year’s midterm elections, defying previous court orders. The Trump administration has pursued additional measures to narrow Americans’ ability to vote, including new proof of citizenship requirements and unprecedented restrictions on mail-in ballots, though federal judges have blocked both proposals.