Rev. William Barber II was giving a speech while I stood in the crowd of 80,000 on the historical Jones Street in Raleigh. It was Feb 8, 2014, and we were at the Moral March. Rev. Barber is the president of NC NAACP, and has been leading political rallies since 2012, against the policies made by the Republican Party who gained control of the state in 2010(1). “What do you want? Justice.” The justice that the marchers want means different things for each individual. As I looked at the banners among the crowd and listened to the people standing around, I got a clearer idea of the things people were marching for - marriage equality, income equality, continued state support on education, and assurance of healthcare are the first on the list. According to the marchers, the Moral March was not only a protest against policies but also a march for morality. As Rev. Barber commented based on the march being a tradition over years, "It's not about a party. It's about principle."
(1) Hickey, Roger. "Moral March Rallies in Raleigh to Transform North Carolina." The Huffington Post, 10 February 2014. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.
