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Martin Luther King Jr., 1929-1968
Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
On August 28, 1963, more than 250,000 people gathered in the nation's capital for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The brainchild of longtime civil rights activist and labor leader A. Philip Randolph, the march drew support from all factions of the civil rights movement. Originally conceived as a mass demonstration to spotlight economic inequalities and press for a new federal jobs program and a higher minimum wage, the goals of the march expanded to include calls for congressional passage of the Civil Rights Act, full integration of public schools, and enactment of a bill prohibiting job discrimination. The program at the Lincoln Memorial featured an impressive roster of speakers and closed with King. Midway through his address, King abandoned his prepared text and launched into the soaring expression of his vision for the future, declaring, "I have a dream today."
Robert Adelman, 1963 |