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Boston NAACP commences the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington with a similar movement

Kassmin Williams

At 22, local resident Jane Bower made the decision to participate in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 and 50 years later, Bower still views the event as a life changing experience.

“That day transformed my life and I returned home a different person,” Bowers said. “I thought differently and made different choices, like choosing to live in integrated communities.”

Area residents will have the chance to go on a life changing journey of their own as the NAACP commences the 50th anniversary of the rally in the same location where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech on Aug. 28, 1963.

The Boston NAACP has organized the travel of five buses holding more than 200 area residents to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. where they will join hundreds of thousands people gathering to celebrate one of the largest assemblies for human rights in the nation’s history.

The event influenced the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

People will begin boarding four of the five buses at 7 p.m. Friday at the Mall of Roxbury at 330 Martin Luther King Blvd.

After departing, the four buses will join the fifth bus in Providence, RI.

While many of the people taking the trip to D.C. walked in the March on Washington, more than 50 local youth will attend the march Saturday.

The Boston NAACP has invited the public to gather at the Mall of Roxbury to cheer on marchers as they depart to Washington.

The organization hopes that the gathering Saturday will influence some change in legislation that presents racial inequality today just as the March on Washington did in 1963.

“The power of our presence on Saturday will hopefully produce an end to stand your ground laws, legislation to spur employment in African American communities, Congress’ restoration of Section 4 of the VRA, the passage of anti-racial profiling laws and lay a final blow on the vestiges of racism in America,” Curry said.

The event is expected to be similar to the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington with one major difference.

In 1963, it wasn’t possible to participate in the rally without being at the event physically but today the Boston NAACP is asking people who cannot attend to participate from their homes.

The public can send messages of support to marchers, via Facebook and Twitter and participate virtually.

Marchers can also text “MARCH” to 62227 to receive real time updates from that National NAACP.