Immigration advocates see Martin Luther King Jr. anniversary as an opportunity

Yahoo! News ^ | AUG 21,2013 | Chris Moody

[moonshinner_09]

Thousands are expected to gather for several events in Washington, D.C., over the next week to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, but remembering and honoring the past isn’t the only objective on the agenda.

Immigrant rights advocates are planning to use the commemoration as an opportunity to rally for changes to immigration law that offer a pathway to citizenship for those living in the country illegally.

Groups such as The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) plan to have a presence at a Saturday rally at the Lincoln Memorial co-sponsored by the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network. They will encourage lawmakers to adopt a comprehensive immigration overhaul.

“We will be marching so everyone knows that true justice involves enacting comprehensive immigration reform,” said NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía during a conference call with reporters Wednesday. “The 50th anniversary march should be an opportunity to celebrate how much progress our country has made. For us as a Latino community, it’s also a chance to show that Dr. King’s words resonated not just with one community, but with many and with an entire nation.”

Event organizers have said that the Saturday event will have multiple purposes, including advocating for jobs, reinforcement of protections by the Voting Rights Act, promoting legal protections for gays and lesbians, and passing an immigration bill.

The Saturday rally and the long list of events in the city surrounding the Aug. 28 anniversary will commemorate the original March on Washington and act as an advocacy platform for current issues, immigration advocates said.

[moonshinner_09]

Al Sharpton out there..just saying he should be more concern about the high unemployment rate for blacks.Al Sharpton , doing anything he can to be in the spotlight..Use anyone or anything.

[DaveA37]

Our county is going through a “restructure” since Gov. Walker’s Act 10 was implemented, thereby reducing the power of unions. As part of the restructure, Martin Luther King’s birthday has been removed from the numerous vacation days given to county employees. There’s still a few more to go.

[warchild9]

Just a note: the famous “I have a dream” speech was written by a white communist named Stanley Levison. Look up him and his connections with the KGB. The FBI records are public info.

The sainted MLK only performed the speech...masterfully.

Just saying.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Not surprised.

[kabar]

Black leaders deserve 30 pieces of silver for the betrayal of their own community. Amnesty and a flood of new immigrants over the next decade—almost half of the immigrants ever to enter this country since its inception—will take jobs away from blacks and depress wages for everyone.

[tumblindice]

Search ‘welfare pays better’ to find two FR articles posted here 8-18 and 8-20 showing welfare pays better than entry level jobs.
I agree that amnesty sucks, but the ‘Trayvons’ aren’t loosing any sleep over maybe losing a landscaping or poolboy job to illegals.

[kabar]

We have 20 million Americans unemployed or underemployed. We don't need 1.2 million legal immigrants a year, most of whom are poor and uneducated. And who the Hell do you think pays the welfare payments? FYI: Immigrants use welfare to a greater degree than the native born.

Between the first quarter of 2000 and the first quarter of 2013, the native-born population accounted for two-thirds of overall growth in the working-age population (16 to 65), but none of the net growth in employment among the working-age has gone to natives.

The overall size of the working-age native-born population increased by 16.4 million from 2000 to 2013, yet the number of natives actually holding a job was 1.3 million lower in 2013 than 2000.

The total number of working-age immigrants (legal and illegal) increased 8.8 million and the number working rose 5.3 million between 2000 and 2013.