NEW YORK - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today issued the following statement on the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington:
"Fifty years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to condemn inequality and oppression by the powerful, and to proclaim dignity and respect for every human being. Dr. King had a quintessentially American mission, and his words delivered at the March on Washington were a quintessentially American message. Our country was born in the spirit of transformation and revolution, challenging every generation since our founding fathers to hold true to the idea that 'all men are created equal.' Thanks to pioneers like Dr. King, the arc of our nation's history has been to march closer and closer to making that vision a reality.
"Though we have accomplished much in the past 50 years, our aspiration for equality has not subsided, and the pursuit of equal justice under law must continue. We must continue to rally against economic inequality to ensure that every child has a fair shot at success and everyone plays by the same set of rules. We must stand up for the rights of laborers who are bullied by employers who cheat workers out of their own money by refusing to respect our minimum wage and prevailing wage laws. We must continue to protect our inalienable right to vote, fighting for laws that makes it easier for people to exercise that right.
"Today, let us not only celebrate the culmination of the great movement-building of Dr. King's era, but also let us recommit to taking our part in his mission of greater justice and greater equality with each generation."
For more of Attorney General Schneiderman's reflections on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, read his remarks to the community forum hosted by the Office of the Attorney General in Harlem last week here.