On August 28 1963, almost 200,000 people congregated in the nation's capital. They protested segregation and other issues in the country for example, voting rights, education reforms and civil rights movements and protections.
During the march many advocates for the civil rights movement like Martin Luther King Jr. took turns speaking in front of thousands of people to get the peoples point across that the government needs to change and implement civil rights laws.
This was known as The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Leading up to the march a man named A. Phillip Randolph originally set out to plan a march because of African Americans not being allowed to work in national defense industries.
This march ultimately did not follow through as President Franklin D. Roosevelt created an executive order where the Fair Employment Practices Commision can investigate discrimination charges. Another attempt to put together a march was planned after.
In 1962, many African Americans were unemployed and the ones that worked for very low wages and worked in terrible conditions.
Therefore Randolph sent a letter to the Department of Interior to get clearance to march at the Lincoln Memorial. Rudolph later convinced Martin Luther King Jr. King also joined many other people including James Farmer of CORE, and Charles McDew of SNCC.
CORE, congress of Racial Equality
SNCC, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
There were many goals stated for the march. They wanted a civil rights bill, rights to vote, equal education opportunities and federal work programs.
As the march was getting more well known to others, more groups and organizations joined and sponsored the march including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Urban League, and many other organizations.
During The March
Throughout the march there were many security precautions taken place as many people thought the march would turn violent and aggressive.
Washington D.C enforced many police officers and there were many armed national guards making sure everything was peaceful.
Even though there were no incidents of violence President Kennedy made it known that if there were he would undo the civil rights bill. During the march there were many performers as singers and songwriters came together to play music and dance with the crowd.
There were also speakers who took the podium to reach out to not just the people of the march but to the government.
One Famous Speaker, Martin Luther King Jr., made his well known “I have a dream” speech which was not only inspiring to everyone but clear and to the point.
Many other speakers listed demands for congress to pass to give equal opportunity and make the standard of living better for African Americans.
Although there were speakers and musicians, it was everyone who attended that made it truly worth something and inspiring, many people created a whole day out of it, bringing lunches and dressing up.
Everyone was open and caring as everyone was there for a common goal, it was not just African Americans there too it was many different races coming together, holding hands, and even locking arms swaying to music.
In the end the March on Washington helped pave the way for the creation of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/march-washington-jobs-and-freedom
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/march-on-washington
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