D.C. to Hold Sovereignty Rally as Part of MLK Memorial Dedication

WASHINGTON - Forty-eight years after Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech, another march will take place D.C. in the spirit of self-determination.

The "D.C. Full Democracy Rally and March" on Aug. 27 will feature civil rights leaders and elected officials of the District in support of sovereignty for the nation's capital.

The rally is just one occasion in a week full of events leading up to the official dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial on Saturday, Aug. 28.

"Frankly, what better moment to seize than this one to further the cause of democracy in the city," said D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray.

According to the National Action Network, the purpose of the rally is to increase awareness of "jobs and justice."

Gray cited the astonishing unemployment levels in many D.C. wards as a crucial road block to improvement in the District.

He and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton also stressed the need for autonomy for the District of Columbia, reiterating the argument for D.C. statehood.

Gray believes the memorial has a special significance for members of the District, and so the city has arranged for "District Residents Day at the Memorial" on Tuesday, Aug. 23.

D.C. residents with time-specific passes will have the opportunity to tour the monument between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Passes will be available on DC.gov after Aug. 18.

Gray concluded the news conference by envisioning what Martin Luther King, Jr. would have thought about the final dedication of his dream.

"I can imagine him exhorting, urging, pushing, shoving everybody in the District of Columbia and every citizen in the United States of America to stand up for justice and freedom in the nation's capital," Gray says.

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