Rev. Al Sharpton Leads Wall Street March for DEI/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Rev. Al Sharpton led a pro-DEI march through New York’s Financial District on the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. The demonstration urged corporations to resist Trump’s rollback of diversity initiatives. Civil rights, labor, and community leaders joined the rally.
Pro-DEI March Quick Looks
- Sharpton leads march on Wall Street for DEI programs
- Event timed with anniversary of 1963 March on Washington
- Protest targeted corporate retreat from diversity initiatives
- Trump has pushed rollback of DEI in government and schools
- Sharpton urges consumer boycotts of companies cutting DEI efforts
- Promotes “buy-cotts” for Costco and others keeping DEI commitments
- March began at Foley Square, near African Burial Ground
- Route passed Charging Bull statue, ended with rally speeches
- Target, Amazon, Walmart faced calls for boycotts earlier this year
- Demonstration tied to civil rights, labor, and immigrant justice issues
Deep Look: Al Sharpton Leads Wall Street March Defending Diversity and Equity Programs
NEW YORK — August 28, 2025 — Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton led hundreds of demonstrators through Wall Street on Thursday, rallying against what he called corporate America’s retreat from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts under pressure from the Trump administration.
The march, organized by Sharpton’s National Action Network, was deliberately timed with the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, drawing symbolic parallels between historic civil rights battles and today’s policy fights.
“We come to Wall Street rather than Washington this year to let them know: you can try to turn back the clock, but you can’t turn back time,” Sharpton declared. “We going to keep the dream alive on Wall Street.”
Marching for Corporate Accountability
Since retaking the White House in January, President Donald Trump has ordered federal agencies to dismantle DEI initiatives and warned schools they could lose federal funding if they maintain such programs. Many corporations have also scaled back their own commitments, citing political and financial pressure.
Sharpton has responded by calling for boycotts of companies that have retreated from DEI and “buy-cotts” of those that have held firm. Earlier this year, he met with Target’s CEO as civil rights groups pushed for consumer action against retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target.
At the same time, he has praised Costco and other businesses that have refused to abandon DEI commitments despite political backlash.
“Corporate America wants to walk away from Black communities, so we are marching to them to bring this fight to their doorstep,” Sharpton said in a statement ahead of the march.
Historic Symbolism in the March
The demonstration began at Foley Square in downtown Manhattan, near the African Burial Ground National Monument, the largest known resting place for enslaved and freed Africans in the United States.
The square is also home to 26 Federal Plaza, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained migrants during court appearances, making it a flashpoint for Trump’s immigration crackdown.
From Foley Square, marchers moved toward Wall Street’s Charging Bull statue, before gathering for a program of speeches by clergy, labor, and community leaders.
Broader Civil Rights Context
Sharpton has positioned the march as part of a wider struggle to defend progress in civil rights, workplace equity, and immigrant justice. His message linked past struggles for equality with today’s resistance to political efforts aimed at curbing diversity programs.
The choice of Wall Street emphasized that the fight is not only political but also economic — pressing corporations to take responsibility for fair treatment of employees and meaningful inclusion in hiring, promotion, and representation.
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