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From VOA Learning English, this is In the News.
President Barack Obama
this week joined hundreds of thousands of Americans
across the country in marking the 50th anniversary
of the March on Washington for civil rights.
The president noted what he called
"unfinished business" in the struggle
for equality and justice in the United States.
His comments come at a time
when Americans are talking about civil rights
and race relations.
Some are still reacting
to a Florida court's decision
in the murder trial of George Zimmermann.
The jury found the neighborhood watch volunteer
not guilty in the shooting death
of Trayvon Martin,
a 17-year-old African American.
On August 28, 1963, 250,000 people
marched in Washington for jobs and civil rights.
It was the biggest demonstration of its kind.
Many people stood outside the Lincoln Memorial
to hear speakers talk about civil rights
for African Americans.
The march ended
with civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
giving his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
His comments energized
the civil rights movement in the United States
and led to important laws,
including the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The law bars major forms of discrimination
against minorities and women.
Last Wednesday,
the nation's first black president
stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Mr. Obama remembered King
and the sacrifices
of those who marched here in Washington.
He said the marchers brought change
not only for African Americans,
but also for other groups
and for those hoping for freedom around the world.
The president's speech marked one of the first times
since he took office in 2009
that he has spoken about issues of race.
It also came two months after the nation's highest court
ruled against part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Mr. Obama said those who suggest
little has changed in America dishonor
the marchers of 50 years ago.
At the same time,
he said work toward racial equality is not complete.
The president noted that challenges to voting rights,
high unemployment rates and other problems need attention.
"To secure the gains that this country has made
requires constant vigilance,
not complacency, whether by challenging those
who erect new barriers to the vote,
or ensuring that the scales of justice work
equally for all, and the criminal justice system
is not simply a pipeline
from under-funded schools to overcrowded jails.
It requires vigilance."
The crowd on the National Mall
here in Washington
also heard from present-day civil rights leaders,
movie stars and two former U.S. presidents.
Like Mr. Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter
belong to the Democratic Party.
Mr. Carter also criticized the Supreme Court decision
on the Voting Rights Act.
"I believe we all know
how Dr. King would have reacted
to the new ID requirements
to exclude certain voters,
especially African Americans.
I think we all know how Dr. King would have reacted
to the Supreme Court striking down
a crucial part of the Voters Rights Act
just recently passed overwhelmingly by Congress."
Another speaker was Martin Luther King's youngest child,
Bernice King.
She spoke about her father's message
to "Let Freedom Ring."
"Today, 50 years later, my friends,
we are still crippled by practices
and policies steeped in racial pride,
hatred and hostility,
some of which have us standing our ground
rather than finding common ground."
Some people in the crowd
also took part in the 1963 march.
They said they are prepared
to keep the dream of racial equality alive.
And that's In the News,
from VOA Learning English. I'm Avi Arditti.
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