Sharpton commemorates the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Activists fight Beck for King legacy

Civil rights movement activists and others gathered Saturday at a high school stadium in Washington to celebrate the historic "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr. in an event that also was aimed at countering a larger rally organized by conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck at the site where King gave his speech in 1963.

Organizers of Beck's rally said it was meant to "restore" America's dignity, honor the sacrifice of its patriots and promote the values of faith, hope and charity — key components of what is thought of as the "American dream." But many in the counter-rally were appalled that Beck chose to use the anniversary of King's historic speech to espouse his conservative principles on the Lincoln Memorial steps.


"The folks who criticize our marches are now trying to march themselves," the Rev. Al Sharpton, an organizer of the counter-rally, said. "They may have the Mall, but we have the message. They may have the platform, but we have the dream. The dream was not states' rights."

Both rallies claimed to represent King's legacy and included members of the slain civil rights leader's family as speakers.

Speakers at the counter-rally included King's son, Martin Luther King III, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and NAACP president Benjamin Todd Jealous.

The rally was centered on the idea of "Reclaiming the Dream" — from Beck and his supporters, specifically. Many in the mostly black crowd see elements of racism among Beck's followers and the tea party movement, who have been sharply critical of President Barack Obama. Beck and his supporters vehemently deny any racism, and Beck noted that he had spent the previous night in the same Washington hotel where King had finished his 1963 speech.

Racial tensions only intensified after the passage of health care reform legislation, when tea party protesters were heard singing "We shall overcome" and Reps. John Lewis (D-Ga,) and Andre Carson (D-Ind.) said they were subjected to racial slurs. The issue deepened following the firing of Shirley Sherrod, an Agriculture Department official, after a videotape appeared to show her saying at an NAACP function that she wouldn't help a struggling white farmer. The tape had been edited in a way that distorted what she said, and her firing became an embarrassment for the Obama administration. She later was offered to return to the agency but declined the fulltime position.

On Saturday, demonstrators wrapped around the block, banging drums and slapping tambourines. A funk bank played Marvin Gaye covers inside the stadium, as participants waved a large pan-African flag overhead and speakers took shots at Beck and his supporters.

"Never again will we allow our history to be stolen or robbed by other people!" Dunbar High School principal Steven Jackson declared to the roaring crowd.

"Glenn Beck's march will change nothing. But you can't blame Glenn Beck for his march envy. His message can't match ours," Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said, before organizers cut off her microphone because she was running over.

A gospel choir sang between speeches. Though the broader symbolism revolved around King's legacy, the speakers touched on cultural and social issues too — particularly education.

"It is up to us to make sure every child in this country has a first-rate education. This country has to work together. We have to march together," Duncan said.

One demonstrator walked by holding a sign that said "I took the Green Line to the MLK rally!" — a reference to a post on a tea party website that called Metro's Green Line unsafe — drawing laughs from the crowd. Jealous said that for the last year, the members of the audience had been subjected to "small hearts and small minds on our small screens," an obvious shot at Beck.

Jealous alluded to advice reportedly given to those coming to Washington for the Beck rally. "The first thing on their list is don't bring your signs. The second thing on their list is don't bring your guns. What is this country coming to?" Jealous said.

After a nearly three-mile-long trek through Washington, the marchers congregated beside the site where the Martin Luther King memorial is being built.

"Martin King Jr. taught us and used to say that we need to learn to disagree without being disagreeable," his son, Martin Luther King III, told the audience. "And I'm saying that because our nation needs to learn that. Our congresspeople, women and men, we need to have congresspeople with character, with integrity. I'm not suggesting we don't have some, but we need to always ensure that's what our congresspeople, our elected officials, represent. You know what? We got to raise the standards."

Although the march to the King memorial site was to put the marchers in proximity of the Beck crowd, Sharpton had made clear that marchers weren't looking for a confrontation. "Trouble today? Ain't no trouble today. We wouldn't disgrace this day by allowing you to provoke us."

The Associated Press reported that some with the Beck rally looked on as Sharpton's group chanted, "Reclaim the dream" and "MLK, MLK." A woman with the Beck rally shouted at the marchers, "Go to church, restore America with peace." Some of the marchers chanted "Don't drink the tea" at those leaving Beck's rally.

Near the Washington Monument, the Beck crowd appeared nearly all white, a mix of senior citizens, youth and young families. Among the speakers was King's niece, Alveda King, an anti-abortion activist, who drew cheers when she said: "If Uncle Martin were here today, he would surely commend us for giving honor where honor is due,"

A few carried signs reading: "Don't tread on me" and "The Constitution now and forever," but most respected organizers' request to keep the rally apolitical.