Participating Organization: 25th Annual National Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk on April 1

For Immediate Release

Media Contact
National Japanese American Memorial Foundation
www.njamemorial.org

25th Annual National Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk on April 1

WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 2023.  The National Japanese American Memorial Foundation (NJAMF) invites you to participate in the 25^th Annual National Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk. The Freedom Walk will take place Saturday, April 1, 2023 at 10:00 am (EST). This annual event continues to be an official event of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The National Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk is a historical and cultural event to raise awareness about the Japanese American experience during World War II and to highlight the vigilant role that American citizens must continue to play in preserving the Constitutional rights of all Americans. Built as a lasting tribute to the more than 33,000 Japanese American soldiers who served with great distinction in the U.S. Military, the Memorial also pays homage to the more than 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry unjustly relocated during World War II. It is also a testament to our nation’s greatness that it does not fear acknowledging its mistakes.

Our theme this year is “Commemorating and Continuing Our Fight for Civil Rights.”  This year marks the 35^th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 provided monetary redress to over 120,000 Japanese Americans who were wrongly incarcerated during World War II due to racial hysteria. The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 also established a public education fund to educate the public so that something like this could never happen again. On the program, we will feature a panel discussion on the topic of the need for collaborations from the broader civil rights community as well as politically in our continuing fight to protect the civil and constitutional rights for all Americans.  Mr. Wade Henderson, former President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights will talk about how his organization helped to gain passage of the bill and Ms. Shirley Higuchi, Chair of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation and the Mineta-Simpson Institute, will talk about how she worked to gain support politically as well as with the community.

Our program is free to all.  Please visit the website at www.njamemorial.org/events. We will continue to update our website with registration and other information.

Freedom Walk is possible in part by the generous support of our sponsors:  National Japanese American Memorial Foundation, Japanese American Veterans Association, DC Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, and Ekoji Buddhist Temple.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the world’s great celebrations of spring. The 2023 Festival, March 20-April 16, includes four weeks of events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit. Leadership Circle Sponsors for the 2023 National Cherry Blossom Festival are Events DC and Amazon. Add the 2023 Festival dates and signature event dates to your calendar, and visit NationalCherryBlossomFestival.org or call 877.44.BLOOM for more information. Get the latest updates via email, and be sure to follow the Festival on Facebook (@CherryBlossomFestival), Instagram (@CherryBlossFest), Twitter (@CherryBlossFest) and YouTube (@CherryBlossFest).

4200 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., #106-236, Washington, D.C.  20016
(202) 503-9589
www.NJAMemorial.org