D.C. Leaders Use March on Washington to Advocate For Statehood

District of Columbia leaders will be using the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington to advocate for statehood and greater autonomy for the city.

Mayor Vincent Gray plans to detail those plans at a news conference on Wednesday near the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

Statehood advocates plan to hold their own, smaller rally Saturday morning before participating in the 50th anniversary of the 1963 march, in which King delivered his “I have a dream” speech.

Watch Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” here:

 The mayor’s office notes that King was an advocate of home rule for the city, which lacks voting representation in Congress.