This morning my question, do you still believe we can realize the dream. And Martin Luther king iii joins me to talk about his fathers legacy. Plus Trayvon Martins mother Sybrina Fulton on her mission. But first, 50 years later the struggle continues. Good morning, im melissa harrisperry. Live this morning from washington, d. C. Where thousands of people turned out to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the march on washington for jobs and freedom yesterday. Only one man who spoke from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial five decades ago remains alive today, congressman john lewis, and he spoke forcefully. I got arrested 40 times during the 60s, beaten, left bloody and unconscious. But im not tired, im not weary. Im not prepared to sit down and give up. I am ready to fight and continue the fight, and you must fight. Although the architect of the march has passed away, many of the inequities that prompted the struggle remain firmly in place. In 1963 the march called for equal access to jobs, fair wages, unfettered Voting Rights and intraracial segregation, access to Decent Health care, schools, housing. Half a century later the struggle continues. The struggle continues for decent work and humane conditions that pays a living wage of the nationwide Unemployment Rate is 7. 4 . For africanamericans its 12. 6 . For young africanamerican men between 20 and 24 the Unemployment Rate is an astonishing 26. 8 . We need jobs. If we cant get jobs, we need to continue these marches. And if we get tired, we need to sit down in the offices of some of those here that dont understand folk want to work and earn for their families. The struggle continues for a living wage for all workers. Employees of Corporate Giants like walmart and mcdonalds are risking their meager lively hoods to agitate for better pay. Yes, we will raise the minimum wage because you cannot survive on 7. 25. The struggle continues for full Voting Rights. Organizers in state after state are protesting, litigating, educating to combat mounting obstacles at the ballot box to target poor, minority and young voters. The struggle must and will go on in the cause of our nations quest for justice. Until every eligible american has the chance to exercise his or her right to vote. Unencumbered by discriminatory or unneeded procedures, rules, or practices. The struggle continues for pathways to economic mobility, a safe place to live, Affordable Medical care, quality education, the ability to walk the streets of any neighborhood without fear of being branded as criminals because of race or accent or fashion, the ability to grow up with the sunshine of hope rather than the shadow of fear. I want you to know theres some interzone, when Trayvon Martin can be shot down and the perpetrator go free, theres some interest owed, so we march. The struggle continues for those still relegated to closets they didnt choose. The struggle continues for women who seek to control their own bodies and shape their own destinies. The struggle continues for those within our borders but without their papers. We must say to Congress Pass comprehensive immigration reform. It doesnt make sense that a million of our people are living in the shadows. Bring them out into the light and set them on a path to citizenship. Yesterday we commemorated a march, but a march is not a movement. 50 years ago it was just a mom, a captivating, restored and inspirational moment but still just a moment. The struggle began long before that late summer day and it continues half a century later. As we disperse from the mom, the march, the question is do we have a movement that can sustain us in the continuing struggle. My first guest this morning missed her speaking slot in march at the march back in 1963. But yesterday told the gathered crowd to stand their ground. Make stand your ground a positive ring for all of us who believe in freedom and justice and equality, that we stand firm on the ground that we have already made and be sure that nothing is taken away from us. Myrlie evers, medgar evers murdered for his act civil two months before the march. She has been fighting for civil rights for decades. With her clayola brown, president of a. Philip randolph institute. Thank you both for being here. Its a pleasure. Mrs. Evers, i want to start with you. What did you think of yesterdays event . Yesterdays event was necessary. It was wonderful. I think it helped to revive justice equality, awful those things we hear about so much. It helped to bring us together. It also served the purpose of bringing lots of younger people together. These are the ones that we see leading us forward. And to me that was perhaps the most profound thing that could have come. We older ones, who have been in so long need to pass the torch. We need to pass the torch to those who are with it today. Were in a high technological society. These people go out of work. They dont have the background and experience because they havent lived. I see that as my role, being that support system to helping to educate them to the things that happened than. I think it was something that was badly needed in america not only for those in attendance but those who could hear and see on television and to send a message to washington, to the state houses, to the local levels that the movement is still alive. And we have to believe that, and we have to act on it. Im one of the old citizens of the time. I could not help but reflect on things such as the fact that we were not allowed people of color were not allowed on television shows. We did hold places in government. I used the theme that had such a negative connotation, stand your ground. I hope i got over to the crowd we need to seize that and use it as our own in a positive way. Stand our ground for what we believe, for what we have worked and for what we have died for and move forward. Its a reclamation of that spiritual we shall not be moved that version of stand your ground. I love what you said about the young people. There was a group from Howard University right there near where our msnbc stand was all day. I could sort of watch and see how they were responding. But it was also important what you just said about this notion of the understanding of the history. This is part of what i wanted to turn to you, we talk about the march being 50 years ago. Of course, the planning was even two decades before that, because of a. Philip randolph. Remind us, remind the viewers who a. Philip errand dolph why his legacy and the march remains important even now. Randolph was the orchestrater to the march. Bringing civil disobedience and large crowds to washington in order to garner support and movement was not new to him. In 1941, there was the design for a march because there was disparities within the military and especially ammunitions. Randolph went to president roosevelt to say there needed to be a change so those who served would have an opportunity for good jobs. That theme hasnt changed. But it was Eleanor Roosevelt who went to him and said this is the right thing to do. The march in 41 was called off because the president then put forward an executive order, 8802. With the signature of a pen made jobs that were sustainable Jobs Available to minorities. Reminds us, as you were saying, mrs. Evers, this was speaking in washington, not just in washington but to washington of the president will speak on wednesday, the actual day that is the 50th anniversary. What do you hope to hear from president obama . I hope that president obama will be very strong in his remarks, whatever they are, but i hope that there will be a sense of a deeper understanding on his part and all of the others who are who did not have to go through the battles that we did, and to send a message that will be strong to our government officials that people simply are not going to sit back and accept things as they are. Weve seen changes with the Supreme Court with Voting Rights and everything. I am here, a person who had to count beans in a jar to be able to answer a question, how many bubbles in a bar of soap to be able to vote. We are still here. The problems still exist. I hope that his message, whatever it is, and im sure it will be the right message for america, that it will be strong, that it will cause more dialogue, and that the people in washington who determine the direction of this company will hear loud and clear what it is that needs to be done. We have just five seconds. Its okay. I just want if theres one policy you want to hear from the president proposed. I hope that the president will say no longer will the cabinet, the congress hold back something that is so vital to this country. Maybe rethink the old idea about using that pen to bring 2 Million People out of poverty wages into sustainable work and guaranteed ability to take care of their families. It doesnt take both houses to do that, with the courage to sign an executive order it would happen. What roosevelt did just as a matter of a threat from randolph, yesterday it wasnt just a threat, there we were. Thank you both for being here myrlie evers and for your continuing work and keeping the legacy of randolph alive. Up next the workers inspired by dr. Kings dream. Then and now. Female narrator the mattress price wars are on the mattress price wars are on at sleep train. We challenged the manufacturers to offer even lower prices. Now its posturepedic versus beautyrest with big savings of up to 400 off. Serta icomfort and tempurpedic go headtohead with three years interestfree financing. Plus, free sameday delivery, setup, and removal of your old set. When brands compete, you save. Mattress price wars are on now at sleep train. Your ticket to a better nights sleep when dr. Martin luther king, jr. , was assassinated in tennessee in 1968 he hadden working with sanitation worker striking for better wages, recognition of their union. The day before he was killed he sfo with workers urging them to adhere to nonviolence, warning looting that broke out at a march diverted the story away from the injustices they were facing. It was part of the American Federation of state, county and municipal employees, now the countrys Largest Union for employees, 1. 6 million working and retired members. Joining me now is the current president of that union and the first black man to hold the title, lee saunders. He addressed those gathered for the march yesterday. Lee, i think people forget this was a march for jobs and freedom. Tell me why theres been such an attack on labor in recent years. I think they want to move labor out of the way completely. They have attacked private sector unions, private member down to 6 , Public Sector membership and unions is about 35 . They want to come after us. They still have resources. We still have power. They believe if they take us out as they did private sector unions they have free rein, and we have to stop them. We have to rebuild our private sector unions. Weve got to work with our community organizations, our allies, coalition partners. Thats why yesterday was to important. Because all of us, the civil rights community, religious community, labor, students, retirees, all of us came together and we made a statement. That statement was we want to be treated fairly. We want to be able to achieve the american dream. Right now thats very difficult to do. Theres been a dramatic decline in the percentage of workers who are covered by unions, part of unions, whether public or private unions. That has a kind of rippling effect for all workers whether they are in unions or not. Tell me when you think about organizing unions, are the strategies different, organizing different than they were years ago. I think we have to adjust, make changes, go about organizing in a completely different way. We have to look at new sectors of the economy to organize. My union afscme, weve organized child care, places all over the country. We have taken hits, in wisconsin where scott walker stole or voices and took our Bargaining Power away from us. We are charged up. They are angry, frustrated, just as American Workers whether they belong to a union or dont they are frustrated with whats going on here. They are frustrated the top 1 of the country control 40 of the wealth. Ceos are making 354 times the amount what working families are making. Thats the largest wage gap in this countrys history. Weve got to fight back. I was just in milwaukee a few weeks ago and thought this is the place interrarnl organizing could happen at the intersection of labor and civil rights, white working folks, agriculture p workers, blacks, latinoso how do you do the work with sciu and fastfood workers. How do we make sure racial organizing is interracial organizing. Were linking the movements. Thats what we must do. Were linking the movement with fastfood workers. Were linking the movement with taxicab drivers who want to organize in city after city after city. Were linking with child care provides, home care workers. It was so important to link our movement with occupy wall street because they were able to signal a tone that we were not able to do. They were not within the Union Movement but they had a very strong message. That strong message was there was unfairness that exists in this country. The economic equality inequality that exists must be addressed. All of us have to work together. Thats why dr. King understood this very, very clearly and thats why he traveled to memphis in 1968. He understood the value and understood the importance of linking sift civil rights with union rights with labor rights, with worker rights. He understood those values. Understood Larger Community to address those concerns. Thank you so much. Well have an eye on this show fastfood and walmart work and continued organizing both with afscme and sciu. Thank you so much for your work. Thank you. Up next, a mother on a mission. Trayvon martins mom Sybrina Fulton joins me live. My goal was to take an idea and make it happen. Im janet long and i formed my Toffee Company through legalzoom. I never really thought i would make money doing what i love. [ robert ] we created legalzoom to help people start their business and launch their dreams. Go to legalzoom. Com today and make your business dream a reality. At legalzoom. Com we put the law on your side. There were many powerful and moving speeches during yesterdays 50th anniversary of the march on washington but there was one courageous woman who spoke very briefly yesterday. Her few words said what everyone gathered on the National Mall already knew and had come there to honor. Trayvon martin was my son. But hes not just my son, hes all of our son and we have to fight for our children. Im pleased to welcome Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin and her attorney benjamin crump. So nice to have you here. Thank you. Thank you. I have been following the work that you have been doing since you lost your son and at every point have been humbled by that work. Tell me at this moment that you feel is the most important thing you can do and those of us who are so in fired by you can do to honor trayvons memory . I think the most important thing i can do is continue to fight and just be realistic and not expect things to happen overnight. It took a long time for everything to occur, so its going to take just that time to try to get things on the right track. Im giving my commitment not to give up until im resting in my grave. I will fight for my son. I will fight for other peoples children, because its very important that we stick together, we unite and we fight. The other thing question you have was what can other people do. I would also tell them not to give up, dont be discouraged, because sometimes how things look in front of you, its a little gray and get discouraged. Dont give up. Just continue, continue to take little steps, continue to take little steps and just be persistent. That was the theme of a lot of folks maybe because we were 50 years after the march yesterday, many of the speakers, im not tired, im not going to be turned around. Yet it must be exhausting, the trial, the loss of your son, the trial, the outcorks the media of it all. Is there a way to restore yourself in the midst of doing the work. To say im not tired, keep moving, take straight from some other place. Well, i have a strong faith in god and that helps a great deal. God is first in my life. I will tell anybody, i will tell any show because thats very important to me. I dont want people to think im doing this by myself, im just this super person, super woman and have the strength of 10 women, thats not the case. The case is i pull my strength from god. Thats first and foremost. The second thing i will say is it helps to know im not standing by myself. Im not the only one fighting for our children. So when other mothers and fathers and uncles and grandfathers say, listen, we have to keep fighting. Were standing with you. Were praying for you. Were supporting you. Were supporting the foundation. Things like that really help and they really energize me. So that energy keeps on rebuilding and keeps on rebuilding. I talked to crump, you know, and ive said, you know, i have two boys, two sons. One is in heaven and one is on earth. I will continue to fight for my boys. Im adamant about it because i feel so strongly we have to fight for our children. That idea of taking strength from each other felt like such an important part of what was happening yesterday. The foundation, trayvons law. You were saying to me just before we came on air, this idea of voting, trayvon at 17 never had the opportunity to cast a vote. Tell me about those three things. Yes, maam, melissa. Spring, as apology, no matter what i was supposed to tell everybody at the march on washington that we have to take the conversation that president obama said, we have to take that conversation and move it to legislation. Thats so important because the Trayvon Martin amendment to the stand your ground laws and the passage of these antiracial profiling laws are going to be g