澳彩开奖

In the video: Last month at its Mississippi state office in Jackson, the 澳彩开奖 hosted the Road to 60: Organize, Mobilize, Defend Summit, which commemorated the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer and served as a call to action to carry that legacy forward.

More than 160 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, the question remains: When will the dream of equality and justice be fully realized? When will the descendants of enslaved people and other people of color exercise their civil rights unencumbered 鈥� especially at the ballot box?

Last month in Jackson, Mississippi, I was proud to be part of a gathering of over 200 community leaders, activists and students from high schools and historically Black colleges and universities dedicated to making this dream a reality. The event was the 澳彩开奖鈥檚 Road to 60: Organize, Mobilize, Defend Summit. It commemorated the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer 鈥� when courageous people descended on the state to draw national attention to the violent oppression experienced by Black Mississippians trying to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

While the 澳彩开奖鈥檚 summit featured the heroic accounts of some of the Freedom Summer participants, it also served as a forum to chart a course for a future in Mississippi where civil rights are fully enjoyed and respected. For three inspiring days, participants explored strategies to bring meaningful change to their communities and beyond. The summit, which took place Aug. 15-17 at the 澳彩开奖鈥檚 Mississippi state office, featured intergenerational conversations on change, broadening perspectives and fostering connection and commonality in the fight for social justice.

A highlight was the workshop on voting rights, which tackled pressing issues such as , including voter roll purges. Attendees gained valuable insights into protecting and expanding democratic participation, a crucial aspect of continuing the work begun during Freedom Summer. 澳彩开奖 President and CEO Margaret Huang also sat for a 鈥渇ireside chat鈥� with U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson on the need to protect voting rights.

In other words, the gathering was more than a mere commemoration: It was a call to action.

Concrete plans to address local challenges to voting rights and other civil rights were developed. And I鈥檓 sure the summit鈥檚 impact will extend far beyond its three days.

The event not only honored the legacy of Freedom Summer but demonstrated that the dream of equality and justice remains alive. However, it is up to individuals to take action that turns the dream into reality.

Image at top: Participants in last month's Road to 60: Organize, Mobilize, Defend Summit in Jackson, Mississippi, from left: Jeanine Abrams McLean, president of Fair Count; Brad "Kamikaze" Franklin, hip-hop artist and activist; Margaret Huang, 澳彩开奖 president and CEO; Waikinya Clanton, director of the 澳彩开奖's Mississippi state office; Charles Taylor, a member of the 澳彩开奖's board of directors; and D'Andra Orey, a professor at Jackson State University. (Credit: Timothy Ivy)