Fifty Years of the Dream

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. August 28, 1963. Image
courtesy of The Ruth Ann Overbeck Capital Hill History Project.

Fifty years ago today (on August 28, 1963) the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, involving over 200,000 people, moved the United States to enact the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The March is remembered for many reasons, notably the inspirational Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech given at the Lincoln Memorial, the historic site of many public demonstrations concerning civil rights.

Dr. King’s legacy is documented in many TWU Libraries materials noted on our Multiculturalism and Diversity page, and in numerous materials available through TWUniversal and library facilities.

The celebration of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom included many wonderful speakers. In addition to Dr. King, Bayard Rustin, A. Philip Randolph, Whitney Young, John Lewis and others participated.

What about the women? Who and where were they? Women at the event and on the stage included entertainers Odetta, Marian Anderson, Joan Baez, Mahalia Jackson and others. Other women sharing the stage included speaker Daisy Bates, Gloria Richardson (who was allowed to say hello to the crowd before the microphone was taken away), Diane Nash, Rosa Parks and Lena Horne.

Join in the worldwide celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom--where you live; at the TWU Libraries; at the Washington Memorial; and most of all, by keeping the dream alive. 

~Marilyn Goff