Breaking: GLSEN's Eliza Byard to Speak at March on Washington Commemoration

We are humbled and honored to announce that GLSEN Executive Director Dr. Eliza Byard will deliver a speech on Wednesday as part of the Let Freedom Ring Commemoration and Call to Action event at the Lincoln Memorial, the same location where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I have a Dream” speech 50 years ago.

Eliza, who is part of a speaking lineup that includes Presidents Carter, Clinton and Obama, will be the only representative from an LGBT organization speaking at the Wednesday commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington. 

GLSEN partner organizations working predominantly in the South nominated Eliza to speak at the event, and the King Center selected her for the honor.

GLSEN has a long history of working on all aspects of social justice related to the K-12 education system and is the leading organization working to address injustices and inequalities directed at LGBT students and educators.

Before officially joining GLSEN in 2001, Eliza worked with GLSEN to co-produce the award-winning documentary Out of the Past, which highlighted Bayard Rustin’s role as a lead organizer of the March on Washington and the impact of the intersection of his identities as both Black and gay on his career as an organizer.

Wednesday’s daylong ceremony is the culmination of a week of activities celebrating the March. GLSEN is also participating in events on Saturday. 

Learn more about the week of events at http://officialmlkdream50.com/ and tune into C-Span from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. ET to watch Wednesday's speeches.