March of Washington, or a true revolution

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. The goal of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic rights of African-Americans in the United States. This event has been marked by the famous speech of Dr. Martin Luther King in front of the Lincoln Memorial, a real symbol of freedom: “I have a dream”. Indeed, he called for an end of legalized racism and segregation. The march was orchestrated by Bayard Rustin and Asa Philip Randolph, both activists. According to multiple sources and the participants themselves, around 200,000 to 300,000 people were in Washington’s streets. Observers estimated that 75% to 80% of the marchers were Black which constitutes a revolution for the Civil Rights movement. The activists began their massive undertaking in 1961, and planned to advocate for a program of public works, including job training programs for the unemployed. They also urged the enforcement of the Fourteenth Amendment by proposing that states which deny citizens the right to vote face a reduction in congressional representation, among other key reforms.

All demonstrators traveled to Washington by carpooling, by taking the train, the plane… Because of all the participants, the police forces were important for the march. More than 5,900 police officers were on duty. The speakers were diverse in the following order: A. Philip Randolph - the organiser; Daisy Bates - the famous journalist. The last one is Martin Luther King with his speech “I Have a Dream”. The March on Washington quickly took a global scale as over five hundred cameramen were present and a lot of international newspapers and media as well. However, this march was not accepted by everybody and every personalities… Indeed, fifty members from the American Nazi Party troubled the order by counter-protesting. Nonetheless, they were quickly banned from the march by the police. Plus, the activist and nationalist Malcolm X criticized the march because of the white participants. However, the March was an example as it enabled other demonstrations in the country. Indeed, following the latter, the speakers visited the White House for a meeting with President Kennedy to discuss proposed civil rights legislation. During the conversation, Reuther, a white activist along with MLK, explained how he was presenting the civil rights issue to business leaders in Detroit, stating “Look, you can’t escape the problem. And there are two ways of resolving it; either by reason or riots.” The March is widely recognised for punishing the US government towards meaningful action on civil rights, helping to generate the political landscape that led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.