Social workers gather near the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 24 for the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. Photo courtesy of NASW.

About 100 social workers gathered Saturday in Washington, D.C. to take part in the National Action to Realize the Dream March.

The event marked the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made his historic “I Have a Dream” speech.

This year’s march focused on various civil rights issues that still need to be addressed, including the end of racial profiling in law enforcement, equal rights for women and members of the LGBT communities, voting rights and immigration reform.

However, improving the economy and finding ways to provide higher paying jobs to minorities and young people was also high on the agenda.

Mel Wilson, manager for social justice and human rights for the National Association of Social Workers, told Reuters in this article that getting a good job was an especially important issue for minorities.

For instance, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for African Americans was 12.6 percent in July, almost double the rate for white Americans.

“We still deal with massive unemployment, disproportionate unemployment among black and Hispanic youth and that needs to change,” he said.