March on Wall Street | UnidosUS

Remarks by UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía on August 28, 2025, at the March on Wall Street in New York. 

It’s a privilege to be here with so many distinguished leaders, including so many of our partners in civil rights community, under the leadership of my friend, the iconic Rev. Al Sharpton.

I am also honored to join with all of you on such an important day in American history, the 62^nd anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. The words Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke that day have guided my work throughout my life, as they have inspired so many of you.

It is important to remember that the March on Washington was not only a call for voting rights and the Civil Rights Act, but also a march for economic justice.

That is what we are marching for today.

Too many in our nation still struggle to find a job that can support their families, to put food on the table for their children, and to afford the high cost of housing and health care.

And despite many promises, we have seen little to no action from the most powerful leaders in Washington to help the majority of Americans who are coping with the rising cost of living and inflation.

This is not fair. This is not justice.

We need leaders to recommit to one of the most fundamental principles that has driven the civil rights movement since the beginning: equal opportunity.

We have always had to prove ourselves, so merit has never been the issue. Achieving equal opportunity gives all of us a chance at our own American Dream. And when we give everyone an equal chance to succeed, we all benefit.

We cannot give in to the naysayers who are falsely claiming that our country’s changing demographics are a problem.

They are wrong, dead wrong. Companies know better than anybody that our communities are the current and future economic engine of this nation. We are the solution, not the problem.

Just look at the numbers for proof. Together, the Black, Asian American, and Latino communities make up nearly half of the American population. For those under 18, we are already over half of the children in this country.

In short, we are America’s future workers, business owners, taxpayers, and customers.

And despite the lack of full economic justice, our spending power today combined is the equivalent of the third largest GDP in the world.

Imagine what would happen if we gave those in all communities equal opportunities.

Imagine how much more we will contribute to the future well-being of the American economy and the American people.

That is the message I want to send to those we work with on Wall Street and even those we don’t. We have choices when it comes to our spending power.

Work with us. Include us. Invest in us. If you do, we all win.

This is not only the right thing to do, it’s the smart to do for your bottom line.

If you care about your bottom line, you should call out policies and actions that are contrary to our country’s economic interests.

Tariffs; cuts to health care and education; and costly, extreme, and ineffective mass deportation campaigns undermine business and hurt our economy.

Your silence today is sending a clear message to your customers, employees, and shareholders. Your values and your voice in this moment matter.

Muchisimas gracias and Adelante, siempre Adelante!