What We Need to Know: Voting Rights, Rising Rents, and a Baseball Legend’s Legacy

Sybil Wilkes is back with What We Need To Know, delivering the stories that matter most to our community. From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the birth of a baseball icon, here is what she wants us to carry into the week.

Thousands Stand Up to Defend the Vote

Friday brought powerful images to Washington. Thousands of civil rights advocates, students, and union members gathered at the Lincoln Memorial for the March on Washington 2026 “Defend the Vote” demonstration. The timing was intentional. The rally landed on the 63rd anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered on those same steps. Convened by civil rights leaders, the crowd urged lawmakers to protect voting access and reverse recent legislative rollbacks. The message echoed a fight our elders knew well: the ballot is power, and it must be protected.