Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed on April 4, 1968 by an escaped prisoner named James Earl Ray. In the 50 years since his assassination much has changed about the landscape of America, while much remains to be changed.

The National Council of Churches is hoping to continue the change King and so many others fought and died for with their Rally to End Racism at the National Mall on April 4 in Washington, D.C.

The AFRO will be at the rally documenting the people there and the message of the speakers. The schedule is below:

7:00 a.m. AWAKEN – LIGHTING THE WAY

Time of Reflection

(National Mall at 12th Street)

AND

7:00 a.m. Drumbeat for Justice Silent Walk from the MLK Memorial to the National Mall (Gather west of the MLK Memorial at the polo fields near the MLK bookstore @ 6:45 a.m.)

Rev. Touissant King Hill, Jr., Pastor, West Hunter St. Baptist Church in Atlanta

Rev. Dionne Boissiere, Chaplain of the Church Center for the United Nations

8:00 a.m. AWAKEN – PREPARING OUR HEARTS

INTERFAITH SERVICE – 12th St Stage at the Mall

9:00 a.m. HOST: Rev. Julian Deshazier

Senior Pastor, University Church of Chicago

Emmy-award winning hip hop artist J.Kwest

10:00 a.m. KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Rev. Jim Wallis

President and Founder, Sojourners & Author, America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege and the Bridge to a New America

11:00 a.m. KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Rev. Dr. Jennifer Harvey

Author, Dear White Christians: For Those Still Longing for Racial Reconciliation

INSPIRATION/UPLIFT

Y’Anna Crawley Urban Contemporary Gospel Artist and Musician

12:00 Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III

Senior Pastor

Friendship West Baptist Church (Dallas, TX)

Speaker: Mr. Louis Gossett, Jr.

Founder, President and Board Chair, Eracism Foundation; Oscar Award-winning Actor

INSPIRATION/UPLIFT:

Yoland Adams, Gospel Singer, Record Producer and Actress

Release Dance Company (MD)

1:00 p.m. Keynote Speaker:

Mr. Deray McKesson

“Transforming Systems and Institutions”

Activist and Former School Administrator

This is the Movement (Baltimore, MD)

INSPIRATION/UPLIFT

Marvin Sapp, Gospel music singer-songwriter, founder and senior pastor of Lighthouse Full Life Center Church (Grand Rapids, MI)

Robert Miranda, Singer song-writer

2:00 p.m. Keynote Speaker

Rt. Rev. Vashti Murphy Mckenzie

Presiding Prelate, Tenth Episcopal District

African Methodist Episcopal Church

Special Guest Speaker: Danny Glover

Actor, film director, and political activist

INSPIRATION/UPLIFT: Marvin Sapp

Bishop and Gospel music singer-songwriter