Maria Boynton discussed plans for a new march on Washington for voting rights with Gerald Griggs, the vice president of the NAACP in Atlanta, and Deborah Scott, the CEO of Stand up.
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The march is playing out against this backdrop: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp passed a controversial voting law, which Scott said concerns her because it might be setting the clock back.
"Anytime you have forward motion, there's going to be a force that will [try to] set it back," Scott said.
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Personally, Scott said she was detained a couple of months ago while fighting for voting rights, which she says are under attack.
"We understand that voter suppression is real, and they are trying to come for us," Scott said. "But we also know that our people are resilient, and we will keep fighting, and so that's what this march on Washington is all about."
The march will take place on August 28, with the theme "March on for Voting Rights." The march will mark the 58th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, where civil rights activists fought for equality and freedom.
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Griggs shared that there will be other marches happening across the country. He is calling for those around the nation to stand up for their rights and put their money where their mouth is.
"People say what they would have done in the civil rights era; this is our civil rights era, this our social justice era. They need to get on the bus. We need to go to Washington, and we need to send a message to the Biden administration as well as the Senate that we need to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act."
Griggs shared that this is the time for people to get into "good and necessary trouble" to get their message across.
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The trio also talked about the march and the January 6 insurrection. Griggs is not worried about what may happen during the upcoming marches as he said, "our parents have trained us our entire lives."
"My hope is that our country will respond the way it's supposed to respond," Griggs said.
"We're coming peacefully, we're coming non violently in the spirit of Martin and the spirit of John, but we are also coming with the eyes of the entire African American community focused on one thing, and that's voting rights."
Griggs also called for the Biden administration to make true on the promises made during the election season.
The march will also be in support of police reform, Griggs shared.
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People going to the march are being asked to be vaccinated and have a recent negative test ready to show before they get on the bus.
Those interested in being a part of the march on August 28 should visit Georgia Stand Up's website, where they can sign up for the march. The cost at the moment is $100 for adults and $75 for anyone under 18.