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Jacob Blake's Sister During March On Washington: 'Black America, I Hold You Accountable'

Thousands gathered in Washington, D.C., on Friday for the Al Sharpton–organized event.
Jacob Blake's Sister During March On Washington: 'Black America, I Hold You Accountable'
Letetra Widman, sister of Jacob Blake, speaks at the Lincoln Memorial during the “Commitment March: Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” protest against racism and police brutality, on August 28, 2020, in Washington DC. – Anti-racism protesters marched on the streets of the US capital on Friday, after a white officer’s shooting of African American Jacob Blake. The protester also marked the 57th anniversary of civil rights leader Martin Luther King’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech delivered at the Lincoln Memorial. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JACQUELYN MARTIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
By Yesha Callahan ·

On Friday, thousands gathered in Washington, D.C. for the March On Washington, which comes on the heels of yet another act of police violence against a Black person.

Earlier this week, Jacob Blake was shot multiple times by a Kenosha, Wisconsin police officer. Blake, who was attempting to break up a fight, is currently hospitalized and is reportedly paralyzed from the waist down.

On the 57th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s infamous March On Washington speech, Blake’s sister, Letetra Widman, had a poignant message.

“We will not be a footstool to oppression, “Widman said. “Black America, I hold you accountable. You must not stand. You must fight, but not with violence and chaos,” she continued.

For the last several months, protests and riots have occurred across the world in response to police violence and systemic racism.

Other speakers included family members of Black people who have died at the hands of police. “My brother cannot be a voice today. We have to be the voice. We have to be the change,” George Floyd’s sister, Bridget Floyd, said Friday.

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