Ohioans participate in March On Washington

Dozens of Ohioans made their voices heard at Friday's March on Washington.

What You Need To Know

At least 150 Ohioans traveled to D.C. for the march

Columbus-area Congresswoman Joyce Beatty spoke to crowd

A Cincinnati reverend said the day was focused on equal justice

In the middle of a pandemic and on a hot August day in the nation's capital, thousands of people came together to call for racial justice.

"We are here today because people died and were denied civil and economic rights," Rep. Joyce Beatty (D, 3rd Congressional District) said.

Beatty, a Columbus-area Democrat and the vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, was given the chance to address the crowd. She urged them to pressure lawmakers to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

"Silence is not an option because Black people face a symbolic chokehold every time we walk, speak up, shop, jog, drive and yes, breathe," Beatty told the crowd.

The day meant enough to at least 150 to 200 Ohioans who made the trip to D.C. to take part in the demonstration.

"We understand the pandemic is going on, but this is the commemoration of Martin Luther King giving his ‘I Have a Dream' speech, so we have to continue to come together," said Reverend Quentin Monroe.

Monroe serves as president of the Cincinnati chapter of the National Action Network, which planned Friday's march.

He led a caravan of Ohioans who traveled in from Cincinnati, Cleveland and Toledo.

Monroe said this moment is about creating equal justice.

"We don't want police officers to feel threatened by us," he said. "Why are they threatened by the color of our skin? They see us differently."

Monroe said his organization will soon be launching a "30 days of action" plan in Cincinnati. He said the goal is to form partnerships that can help influence policies and redirect excess police funding to underserved neighborhoods.

This article was originally published by Spectrum News 1 on August 29, 2020.