Governor Spanberger will join civil rights, labor, faith-based, and voting rights leaders in Washington, D.C. on August 28.
New York, NY (August 24, 2026) — National Action Network (NAN) Founder and President Reverend Al Sharpton, together with Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, the Drum Major Institute and a growing national coalition, today announced that Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger will attend and speak at "March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote" in Washington, D.C. on Friday, August 28, 2026, the 63rd anniversary of the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
Governor Spanberger's presence will underscore the importance of protecting access to the ballot and preserving democratic participation at a moment of renewed national focus on voting and civil rights. Spanberger will bring the perspective of a sitting governor from a state whose history is deeply intertwined with the country's continuing struggle over democracy, representation and equal citizenship.
Spanberger's participation carries particular significance as leaders from across the country return to the Lincoln Memorial, where the 1963 March on Washington propelled a national movement toward landmark civil and voting rights protections. Sixty-three years later, Governor Spanberger will join civil rights leaders, elected officials, advocates and communities calling for those protections to remain intact for future generations.
As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, questions surrounding who can fully participate in American democracy remain urgent. Governor Spanberger's presence will underscore the responsibility of leaders at every level of government to protect the institutions that allow citizens to make their voices heard and to ensure that every eligible voter has meaningful access to the ballot. This year's march is rooted in both the history of the original March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the contemporary political questions facing Americans now.
A large coalition of national partners has confirmed its participation in the march, including the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the NAACP, the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), the National Urban League (NUL), the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Indivisible, UnidosUS, the Working Families Party, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA), Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Veterans Equity Project, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Common Cause, People Power United, United For Democracy, Vote.org, Family Equality, In the Public Square, Bet Mishpachah, Faith in Action Fund, Faith in Action National Network, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC), the Interfaith Alliance, and multiple houses of worship.
Members of the media planning to register should do so at nationalactionnetwork.net. Credentialed press will receive access to designated media areas, staging locations, and additional logistical information ahead of the march.
Founded in 1961 on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s vision of a world free of racism, poverty and violence, the Drum Major Institute carries Dr. King's work and vision of radical nonviolence into the 21st century, democratizing it for all people. DMI leads through collaboration by convening leaders and organizations to identify common-sense solutions to our most pressing problems. For more information, please visit drummajorinst.org.
National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender. For more information, visit www.nationalactionnetwork.net.