The 38th Anniversary of the "March on Washington"

By Brenda Covington-Johnson
Washington File Staff Writer

It has been 38 years since the first major protest march of over 250,000 people gathered in Washington D.C. to call for progress in Civil Rights in America.

On August 28, 1963 over 250,000 protesters from all walks of life and races met in Washington D.C. to form the largest gathering of people to that date, to demand change in America.

The event was a resounding success. It was a peaceful gathering with no major disturbances. Many Americans witnessed for the first time blacks and whites united, marching and celebrating side by side.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the most popular of all the civil rights leaders, stood at the front of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered his now world famous speech known as the "I have a dream" speech. It was a speech of hope and determination, epitomizing the day's message of racial harmony, love, and a belief that blacks and whites could live together in peace.

According to the U.S. News & World Report of September 9, 1963, these were 'The Demands' of the participants in the March on Washington:

1. Passage of "meaningful" civil-rights legislation at this session of Congress - no filibustering.
2. Immediate elimination of all racial segregation in public schools throughout the nation.
3. Protection for civil-rights demonstrations everywhere against police "brutality".
4. A big program of public works to provide jobs for all the nation's unemployed.
5. A federal law prohibiting racial discrimination in hiring workmen - either public or private.
6. A $2-an-hour minimum wage, across the board, nationwide.
7. Self-government for the District of Columbia, where Negroes are 57 per cent of the population.

Since August 28, 1963 many changes have taken place in America. More and more blacks are gaining recognition in this integrated world. Prejudice still roams the streets, and may never go away. Civil rights leaders still have a long way to go, but no one will ever forget the March on Washington, and its "Dream".