Background Information:
On August 28, 1963, over 200,000 people gathered in Washington D.C. All people, whether they were African American or white, who were fighting for equality were marching to show that they won't back down until colored people get the same equality/treatment as white people. At this march, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream Speech" and made the movement even larger.
All of the African Americans were fed up with how they were being treated after World War Two. They had gone to fight for freedom for America and came back to social and political injustices. They weren't being treated like equals anymore and they did not like that. The march was arranged to show Washington that change will happen and needs to happen in the United States.
Goal of the March on Washington:
This March was organized because African Americans and colored people were trying to shed a light on the inequality happening in the U.S. and to shed light on the political and social challenges African Americans and colored people were facing.
The African American and colored people had enough of not being treated as equals to white Americans and wanted a change.
People Involved:
There were many people who played a part in the planning and execution of this March. The march took months to plan and spread around just to have this kind of impact on Americans.
Some of the people who were at the march, spoke at the march, or helped plan the march were Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, Josephine Baker, Mahalia Jackson, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan. These are not all of the people who played a role in the march, there were all of the African Americans, whites, and colored people who marched with them to make an impact.
This is Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech at the March on Washington.
Obstacles:
The leaders and organizers of the group had to face many problems including discrimination, the government, and people trying to harm them. They had many obstacles that had to be overcome before the march was allowed to happen, but they used their faith, numbers, and unity to show that even if they get a lot of resistance from the rest of the world, they are still going to fight for what they want to achieve, which was equal rights.
Lasting Effects:
This march still has a huge impact on the citizens of America. This march helped lead the Civil Rights movement to achieve many things including the right to vote, better jobs, and more opportunities.
Some negative lasting effects are that discrimination is still not completely gone and there are still fights to be treated equally.
Modern day example:
The first modern day example that I have is the women's marches. The women are fighting to keep abortion and planned parenthood open for them. The some people in the government and people who are pro-life do not want abortion to be legal.
Similarities:
This is similar to the March on Washington because the African American and colored people wanted the right to be equal and women today want to have the right to decide what to do for abortion.
This shows how women around the world have been fighting for their rights.
APA Citations:
History.com Staff. (2009). March on Washington. Retrieved April 25, 2017, from http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/march-on-washington?scrlybrkr=9de7f716
4 big accomplishments of the 1963 March on Washington. (2013, August 28). Retrieved April 25, 2017, from http://theweek.com/articles/460682/4-big-accomplishments-1963-march-washington?scrlybrkr=d886883b
Credits:
Google Images