Daughter of Civil Rights Activists Who Helped Organize March on Washington To Explore its Legacy for 60th Anniversary
10.23.2023
Renowned artist, educator and social justice advocate Hasna Muhammad will examine the legacy of the March on Washington and the continued fight for equity at a commemoration marking the march’s 60th anniversary. Her parents, actors and activists Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, helped organize the first march in 1963.
At that first march, 200,000 demonstrators demanded civil rights protections and equality in housing, jobs, education and voting rights. In the decades since, the march has served as a touchstone for the civil rights movement and the fight against racism.
The program, “The March on Washington, 60 Years Later: Our Progress and the Journey Toward Equity That Remains,” will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Bar Center, 1 Elk Street, Albany. The New York State Bar Association and the Albany Law School’s Government Law Center are co-sponsors of the event. Registration is required.
“Even though sixty years have passed, the message and lessons of the March on Washington are relevant to this day,” said Richard Lewis, president of the New York State Bar Association. “It’s important to remember that the March on Washington was a pivotal event in the ongoing struggle to achieve justice and equality. Hasna has firsthand experience with this history, and we are fortunate to have her share her insights with us.”
New York’s Chief Judge Rowan Wilson and T. Andrew Brown, past president of the New York State Bar Association, will deliver opening remarks. The program will include a reception.
About Hasna Muhammad
Muhammad is a visual artist, writer, and educator whose work focuses on family, social justice, education, and the human condition. She recently published her first book, “Breathe In the Sky: Poems Prayers & Photographs,” and her photography has been exhibited in cities across the United States.
She has served as a teacher, a high school principal and an assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and human resources.
