BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Friday marks the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington. Tens of thousands gathered in Washington DC to once again call for racial equality and justice. In Buffalo, demonstrators marched down Hertel Avenue calling for the same thing.
“There has been progress made, but there hasn’t been enough progress made," said Maria Santiago, one of the march organizers.
Protesters said one area without enough progress is police reform. Demonstrators told 7 Eyewitness News they want to defund the police, reallocating the money to areas like education and health care
“I just want to be able to live my life freely as a human being, and not afraid to walk down the street and think that I might get picked up by an officer, or shot, for any reason," said Zachary Shackelford.
On the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic I have a dream speech, 7 Eyewitness News asked people at the Black Lives Matter march how they envision the next 50 years.
“They better look a lot different, we need a culture of peace where the slam dunk reaction is a peaceful reaction,” said Vicki Ross, Executive Director of WNY Peace Center.
Marchers said they won't stop until that change comes.
“There was a powerful movement in the 50s and 60s, it brought us a certain ways, but we still need to go leaps and bounds farther," said Shackelford.
