NEW YORK (RNS) — On Thursday (Aug. 28), Black faith leaders, activists and protesters descended on Manhattan’s financial district to denounce efforts by the Trump administration and some private companies to abandon diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, known as DEI.
The demonstration, organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, also marked the 62nd anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington.
“DEI is the civil rights fight of our generation, and will make the difference in what the future of America looks like. … On August 28th, as we commemorate the March on Washington, we will continue the fight by taking it to Wall Street,” read an announcement for the event.
As Sharpton took to the stage on Whitehall Street, near the end of Broadway in Lower Manhattan, he addressed companies that have abandoned their long-standing DEI initiatives in the wake of White House pressure, urging Black Americans to fight back.
The Rev. Al Sharpton leads the March on Wall Street on Aug. 28, 2025, alongside Martin Luther King III; King’s wife, Arndrea Waters King; and New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. RNS Photo by Fiona André
“We marched for your offices because we know your address, and we will march and keep coming to you until we turn the economic inequality in this country around. We’re not going back,” said Sharpton.
The rally cemented a monthlong boycott campaign, promoted by Black church leaders across the country, to denounce private companies abandoning DEI policies.
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Thousands of protesters had flocked to Lower Manhattan early Thursday morning, many traveling from out of state by bus for the occasion. They gathered at the African Burial Ground National Monument on Foley Square, heading toward Wall Street shortly after 10 a.m.
As they walked downtown, protesters held signs reading “What Trump will erase, we will replace” and chanted: “No DEI, no dollars. No justice, no peace.” During the hourlong march, some protesters hummed the gospel anthem “We Shall Overcome.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton speaks during the March on Wall Street on Aug. 28, 2025. RNS Photo by Fiona André
Halfway through the march, the procession halted in front of the Charging Bull, a bronze sculpture that symbolizes Manhattan’s financial power. During the proces …