9 Days, 5 States and One March for Justice [PHOTOS]

On April 13, 2015, Justice League NYC gathered folks from New York City and around the country to march to Washington, DC in order to push for criminal justice reform legislation in our nation’s capital. The event culminated in a concert and march on April 22. Creative Mornings Community Director and social activist Sally Rumble decided to pack up and go (she joins below on Day 6.) Here is her story, in pictures.

(Thank you to photographer Alex Arbuckle.)

m2j2
mj3DAY 1: Staten Island step-off led by three women of color
mj4Somewhere in NJ
mj5Day 3: Blisters set in
mj6PAIN. Poem by student poet following the murder of Trayvon Martin and acquittal of his killer moves marchers to tears
mj7Day 4: Hello, Pennsylvania
mj8Stretch break
mj9PA STATE TROOPERS. Carmen equipped with a camera in case of police brutality directed at her
mj10BRUCE. Former Black Panther in the 70s. He marched the entire 250 miles without injury
mj11HOSTILITY. In Maryland, Confederate flag sightings, drivers yelling, “White Power!” and the n-word
mj12LOVE. Milly FaceTimes her three children while marching
mj13ALEX. Official March2Justice photographer and stunt man
mj14EXHAUSTION. Quadir and Brother Ali still don’t know I took this shot 🙂
mj15DAILY BLISTER PREVENTION
mj16OOF. Air mattresses. Every. Night.
mj17DAY 6. My first day! (I’m on the right, in the sunglasses)
mj18Why didn’t I train for this?
mj19It’s HOT out here
mj20MORE POLICE. Walter, one of our four brave marshals, negotiates with police
mj21FOOD! One of many community centers (schools, churches, mosques) to feed and accommodate us
mj22WISDOM OF ELDERS. Bruce speaks at an evening rally in Baltimore, to a beautiful crowd of local supporters
mj23LOVE. Quadir offers to be a son to three mothers at the rally whose sons were killed by police
mj24DAY 7: BALTIMORE. We learn of Freddie Gray’s death this morning and head to his neighborhood in West Baltimore
mj25This is West Baltimore
mj26This is West Baltimore
mj27This is West Baltimore
mj28They greet us like family
mj29They greet us like family
mj30We salute in solidarity
mj31And they salute back
mj32They join us in the street. This is Freddie Gray’s brother. He marched behind me and I could hear him weep
mj33To demand answers. We arrive at the Western District Police Dept demanding to know why Freddie died?
mj34Big Day = Big Blister. Gross… sorry
mj35Better hit the shower. This is a shower at a mosque
mj36Day 8: I’m tired
mj37Dance Break
mj38REALLY? I sprained my knee
mj39Remember Bruce? Yeah, he’s still injury-free after EIGHT DAYS OF MARCHING!
mj40But my nails look better than his
mj41Naima did a color change on a lunch break (Pro!)
mj42Weather hits. Tamika on her cell phone organizing tomorrow’s rally — WHILE MARCHING!
mj43Our leaders cross the D.C. state line
mj45Union Baptist Church welcomes us at the end of Day 8
mj46FAMILY. Darius’ mom greets him and I lose it. *tears*
mj47DAY 9: MORNING RALLY. Celebrating the men who kept us safe
mj48DAY 9: WASHINGTON, D.C.: Hundreds of people join us for the last day
mj49DAY 9: WASHINGTON, D.C.: Hundreds of people join us for the last day
mj50SUPREME COURT. Police threaten to arrest us if we march on the road so we do a die-in
mj51“One more mile” selfie
mj52We made it
mj53Danny Glover was there to greet us
mj54So was John Lewis, now a Congressman — John Lewis led the March to Selma 50 years ago
mj55We made it
mj56We made it
mj57We made it
mj58We made it

AND IF ANYONE ASKS YOU WHAT AMERICA LOOKS LIKE?

 

 

 

mj59This is what America looks like.
Nobody is free until we’re all free.

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