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“WE ARE STILL HERE AND WE ARE NOT GOING BACK:” NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE PRESIDENT MORIAL URGES VOTERS TO TURN PROTEST INTO POWER AT MARCH ON WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 28, 2026) — National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial delivered a forceful call to action Friday at the commemoration of the historic March on Washington, urging Americans to confront assaults on voting rights, civil rights, and democratic institutions through civic engagement, economic action, and political participation.

Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech 63 years ago, Morial warned that the nation is experiencing a dangerous erosion of democratic norms masked by political rhetoric.

“Something in the water ain’t clean,” Morial said. “The corrosion that you can see, the peeling apart at the edges as the masking fades away, is the perfect metaphor for this country today. A country whose values, whose democracy, and very way of life is being eroded by corruption masked as a movement to Make America Great Again.”

Morial connected current political battles over voting rights and civil liberties to the struggles that brought hundreds of thousands of Americans to Washington in 1963 and fueled the movement that led to passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

“Some view today’s gathering and your commitment to showing up on these steps as ineffective and symbolic,” Morial said. “I want to remind us of why symbolism matters.”

Morial recounted key moments in the Civil Rights Movement, including the March on Washington and the violence inflicted on peaceful voting-rights protesters whose sacrifice helped galvanize public support for transformative federal legislation.

“The images of those struggles became symbols of who our country was for eyes around the world,” Morial said. “The result was outrage and a push for change.”

Drawing parallels between historic civil rights organizing and today’s challenges, Morial emphasized that symbols can shape movements, inspire action, and influence the nation’s future.

“Make no mistake, symbols have power,” he said. “They start movements. They give hope to the believers in them. And they shape what we believe in and the country we want.”

Morial also highlighted the National Urban League’s ongoing voter engagement efforts ahead of the November elections, including voter registration drives, grassroots organizing, and community outreach campaigns in states across the country.

“While our opponents are telling you to accept higher costs and political dysfunction, we’re organizing in Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina, and states across this nation,” Morial said. “We’re knocking on doors. We’re registering people to vote. And we refuse to be intimidated by leaders who think they can silence us.”

He called on Americans to channel their frustration into action at the ballot box, in their purchasing decisions, and through sustained civic participation.

“We see what’s happening,” Morial said. “We see what you are. We see what you’re doing. And we’re not going to let you win.”

He reaffirmed the resilience of the civil rights movement and the communities it represents.

“Now that you’ve tried to silence us, in November you’re going to hear what we have to say,” he said. “Now that you’ve rolled back your commitments to our community, you’re going to see where we spend our dollars. And now that you’ve tried telling our young people where they can go to school, you’re going to find out where we choose to take our talents.”

“We’re gathered here to let you know that we are still here, and we are not going back.”