The March On Washington
Photo Credit: CNP/Getty Images
In August 1963, 250,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C for what is known as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The event was orchestrated by Dr. Martin Luther King who gave his famous “I Have a Dream Speech.” The point of the march was to draw attention to the inequalities faced by African Americans that were still occurring over a century after the emancipation of slaves. President JFK even endorsed the March on Washington although reluctantly for fear of safety issues with the crowds and the energy of those protesting on either side.
