Brooklyn, N.Y. – Representative Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement in celebration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, at which the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his speech “I Have A Dream,” calling on the people of the United States to dedicate themselves to social justice and economic justice for every person.

“Dr. King issued a call to the conscience of our nation, to uphold the promise of equality in our Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution. When he spoke these words, that promise remained unrealized for most Americans. It has been the work of our nation in the half-century since Dr. King’s speech to answer his call for justice.”

“We have not yet completed this work. Disparities continue to exist in criminal justice, health care, and education, and recent efforts to restrict voting demonstrate that there are some people who refuse to accept African-Americans and Latinos as their fellow citizens, with equal rights under the law. In the next half-century, we have a responsibility to continue in our efforts to secure justice for every American. Today let each of us dedicate ourselves to the fulfillment of Dr. King’s dream.”

U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke is a member of the House Committee on Small Business, Ethics, and Homeland Security, where she is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies. She represents many neighborhoods in central and southern Brooklyn, NY which include Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Gerritsen Beach, Madison, Midwood, parts of Park Slope and Flatlands, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Sheepshead Bay, and Windsor Terrace.