Americans Gather to 'March for Jobs & Justice' on ML King Day

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Many hundreds of everyday Americans – struggling to keep their heads above water in a jobless recovery and fed up with political gridlock – plan to gather at the pedestal of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday in a "March for Jobs & Justice" on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The March for Jobs & Justice, sponsored by the emerging Justice Movement on MLK Day, will begin at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial that is under construction and proceed to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. There, on the spot where Dr. King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, the marchers will rally to demand economic justice for all Americans, as well as electoral justice and U.S. and global health justice – including an AIDS-free generation by 2015.

The Justice Movement is committed to ensuring that all American voices are heard and has intentionally chosen only everyday Americans as rally speakers, including jobs activists; a Marine Corp veteran; health care activists; Republicans, Democrats and Independents; a songwriter and a poet.

In addition, musicians and activists will perform a "Drumming for Jobs and Justice" drum circle prior to the March, beginning at 10 a.m. near the MLK Memorial site.

"Justice means that the rich do not get richer on the backs of the poor," says Dr. Paul Zeitz, executive director of the Global Peace Action Network and Global AIDS Alliance, whose recent speech helped spark the Justice Movement. "Justice means that when tens of millions of Americans struggle to survive economically – living paycheck to paycheck because they are underemployed or jobless, many falling into homelessness and bankruptcy – we confront corporations that now sit on more than $1.5 trillion in cash reserves."

The gap between the richest and poorest Americans now has reached a record level, double the previous high in 1968. In addition, unemployment among African Americans remains double that of other Americans. Many marchers say they are concerned about pay freezes for the military, seniors and federal workers, even as Wall Street traders grumble about six-figure bonuses.

The Justice Movement (www.justicemovementnow.net) is a group of committed, everyday Americans of varied backgrounds and political views who collaboratively are dedicated to galvanizing political action that attains measurable results for all Americans. It is not a political party, nor will it field any candidates. It seeks to educate the public on how to take back America so that our leaders serve the cause of Justice.

SOURCE The Justice Movement