The Saturday editions of ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC’s Today, and CBS Saturday Morning all focused on the festivities 60th anniversary of the March on Washington not just by recounting Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech, but by assisting today’s organizers in portraying overcoming current progressive grievances as the next chapter in the fight for civil rights.
ABC’s Faith Abubéy was the worst offender. She recalled the events of 1963 and how “organizers say today this fight is in part about voter suppression, housing discrimination, police and racial violence, racial disparities when it comes to employment, education, and other basic civil rights.”
Adding in some commentary of her own, Abubéy took aim at the Supreme Court’s recent decisions, some of which had nothing to do with race, “The 60th anniversary of the March on Washington is, of course, happening in the wake of some controversial U.S. Supreme Court rulings in which affirmative action, student debt relief, and abortion rights were all gutted in recent terms.”
Apparently Abubéy really believes that not paying back your loans is a civil right or that the demise of affirmative action and abortion is in the same universe as the existence of segregation.
Still, she continued to hype Saturday’s events, “Well, today we're expecting activists from across the spectrum representing Latinos, Asian-Americans, the Jewish community, advocates for reproductive rights, and for people with disabilities to all join the march today.”
A bunch of left-wing activists with overlapping agendas is not “across the spectrum,” but rather firmly planted on one side of it. Nevertheless, Abubéy concluded, “Some of the high-profile speakers we expect to see include the Reverend Al Sharpton, MLK’s son, and his daughter-in-law. We're told once the main program is done the demonstrators will march towards the MLK memorial and this is a clarion call for systemic change long overdue.”
Over at NBC, Aaron Gilchrist also gave a history lesson on 1963 before hyping attempts to tie that year to 2023, “Now, the program today will feature dozens of speakers who acknowledge the progress that's been made, but they will raise those issues along with today's concerns around threats to democracy and criminal justice reform, and voting rights.”
Like Abubéy, he also recalled how, “We are also going to hear from other groups representing Latinos and Asian-Americans and women and Jews and LGBTQ people who all say they share the common goal of peace, justice and equity, that's according to the organizers here.”
Gilchrist would conclude his piece by reporting that “We've also learned, Peter, that the president and Vice President Harris will meet with the King family and organizers of the original march on the actual anniversary on Monday.”
Finally, at CBS, congressional correspondent Nikolle Killion opened up the floor to Martin Luther King III to suggest democracy itself as on the line, “Dad's last book was written in '67 it was "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community. We are living in chaos, but we must build community if we as a society are to survive. And particularly if we're talking about a democracy surviving.”
Killion wrapped up her report by also alluding to recent Supreme Court rulings, “King says he remains concerned about voting rights and the rollback of other measures like the Supreme Court's decisions this summer on affirmative action. He and his family are expected to meet with President Biden and Vice President Harris on Monday to commemorate the actual anniversary of the March.”
At no point did anyone on any of the three networks say contemporary voter suppression is a myth meant to scare people or wonder what any of the left’s contemporary culture wars have to do with 1963.
Good Morning America was sponsored by Ashley, while Today was sponsored by Value City Furniture, and CBS Saturday Morning was sponsored by Allstate.
Here are transcripts for the August 26 shows:
ABC Good Morning America
8/26/2023
7:17 AM ET
FAITH ABUBEY: Sixty years ago Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood right there and gave that iconic "I have a dream" speech in front of what's an estimated 250,000 demonstrators and today a new generation is back here to carry that torch forward. Back in 1963 this fight was mainly about civil rights and voting rights. Well, organizers say today this fight is in part about voter suppression, housing discrimination, police and racial violence, racial disparities when it comes to employment, education, and other basic civil rights.
The 60th anniversary of the March on Washington is, of course, happening in the wake of some controversial U.S. Supreme Court rulings in which affirmative action, student debt relief, and abortion rights were all gutted in recent terms.
Well, today we're expecting activists from across the spectrum representing Latinos, Asian-Americans, the Jewish community, advocates for reproductive rights, and for people with disabilities to all join the march today.
Some of the high-profile speakers we expect to see include the Reverend Al Sharpton, MLK’s son, and his daughter-in-law. We're told once the main program is done the demonstrators will march towards the MLK memorial and this is a clarion call for systemic change long overdue. Gio.
***
NBC Today
8/26/2023
7:16 AM ET
AARON GILCHRIST: We expect a huge crowd here today at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial and along the National Mall later today as this 60th anniversary commemoration takes place, not just a commemoration, but an opportunity, the organizers say, to think about and work toward the ideals that were laid out 60 years ago.
The 1963 March For Jobs And Freedom was really one of the most significant and diverse demonstrations for racial justice and equity in this country's history. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking of his dream and rallying with other civil rights leaders to push for civil rights and voting rights legislation, which we eventually saw come to fruition.
Now, the program today will feature dozens of speakers who acknowledge the progress that's been made, but they will raise those issues along with today's concerns around threats to democracy and criminal justice reform, and voting rights. We are also going to hear from other groups representing Latinos and Asian-Americans and women and Jews and LGBTQ people who all say they share the common goal of peace, justice and equity, that's according to the organizers here.
The event today will end with speeches from Dr. King's family and also the Reverend Al Sharpton, who’s helped organize today's event, before they step off for a march from here at the Lincoln Memorial down to the MLK memorial. We've also learned, Peter, that the president and Vice President Harris will meet with the King family and organizers of the original march on the actual anniversary on Monday. Peter, Kristen.
***
CBS Saturday Morning
8/26/2023
8:33 AM ET
NIKOLE KILLION: Martin Luther King III reflects on his father's legacy and the work that remains.
MARTIN LUTHER KING III: Dad's last book was written in '67 it was "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community. We are living in chaos, but we must build community if we as a society are to survive. And particularly if we're talking about a democracy surviving.
KILLION: King says he remains concerned about voting rights and the rollback of other measures like the Supreme Court's decisions this summer on affirmative action. He and his family are expected to meet with President Biden and Vice President Harris on Monday to commemorate the actual anniversary of the March. Michelle?
