Topeka church hosts March on Washington commemoration event

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Monday marked 60 years since the March on Washington and the Topeka community came together to commemorate and celebrate the anniversary at New Mount Zion Baptist Church.

The iconic 1963 March on Washington sent the message inequality would no longer be tolerated, with Dr. King’s historic speech inspiring generations to come.

“The big thing is how far we’ve all come, women, blacks, gays, everyone and how far we still need to go. We’ve got some real troubles ahead and I think it’s a real great day to reflect back on how we made progress,” says Keynote Speaker, Kevin Wilmott.

New Mount Zion Baptist Church commemorated the anniversary with live music and a showing of the march.

Academy award-winning filmmaker Kevin Willmott, a Junction City native and film professor at KU noted a too similar climate in his keynote address.

“Here we are celebrating this amazing moment, then we have three black people murdered because they were black that’s just like the reason Dr. King marched on Washington in 1963 because 4 little girls had been blown up in Birmingham. That was one of the reasons that brought them there, says Wilmott.

Willmott says we have seen big strides since but there is still a lot to be done.

“I think it’s up to everybody to do their part. Not everyone is supposed to march and not everyone is supposed to be maybe politically out front but everyone is supposed to participate. So I think everybody has got to find the thing they can do to help folks to help move things forward and more than anything be aware of what’s going on. Don’t be oblivious to what’s going on right now because it’s really an important time,” says Wilmott.

To participate in the event’s ‘call to action’ click here.

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