The Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk will be held on March 31 (Saturday) from 9 a.m to 11 a.m., organizers announced recently. Venue is the National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism during World War II. It is located at the intersection of D Street, NW, New Jersey Avenue NW and Louisiana Avenue NW in the nation’s capital.

Freedom Walk is an official event of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Current National Japanese American Memorial Foundation (NJAMF) Board chair Dan Matthews said, “It is a historical and cultural event to raise awareness” about the Japanese American internment during World War II. It also underscores “the importance of vigilance in preserving the Constitutional rights of all Americans.”

The speakers are: Ambassador to the U.S. Ichiro Fujisaki, former Cabinet Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, and Asian American Justice Center President and Executive Director Karen K. Narasaki.

The main sponsor is the Japanese Commerce Association of Washington DC. Other sponsors: National Japanese American Memorial Foundation, Japanese American Veterans Association and Southwest Airlines, official airline of NJAMF. For more information about the Freedom Walk, please visit www.ncbfreedomwalk.org.