March On Washington
Amina Aslam
Why did the march on Washington start?
The march on Washington started due to jobs and civil rights. 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, African Americans thought that they still weren't getting the freedom they deserved. Everybody had their own reasons and topics to protest for. Some main topics were jobs, civil rights and racial discrimination. This event was organized by the "Big Six" leaders of the civil right movement, A. Philip Randolph, Whitney M. Young Jr., Martin Luther King Jr., James Farmer, Roy Wilkins, and John Lewis. They had tried having this march earlier but they didn't have the money at the time to have police and medical backup in case of an emergency, but it turned out that they didn't need it anyway. The marchers surprisingly marched peacefully. People wanted to get attention from others that they wanted to make a difference and make things fair for everyone. People had thought that it was time that they fought for what they believe in.
What Events led to the March On Washington?
There were no specific events that led to this event except that more people were losing their rights and the "Big Six" leaders decided to make a march on protesting on jobs and civil rights at the Lincoln memorial.
How did the marchers protest?
- This protest took place at the Lincoln memorial on August 28th, 1963
- The marchers protested peacefully, surprisingly (The "Big Six" leaders expected the march to include violence)
- The marchers protested with banners and posters
- They listened to speeches, songs and prayers
What resulted from this protest?
- President Kennedy's assassination took place on November 22nd, 1963
- The civil rights act of 1964 was signed
- Voting rights of 1965 was signed
- Two weeks after the march, Americans planted a bomb under the steps of the 16th street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama
- This killed four young girls attending Sunday School
- The march provided a model for how they can change their society and for social change.
How did the participants demonstrate their belief system through their protests?
The participants during the march of Washington demonstrated their belief system through protesting peacefully in what they believe they deserve.The marchers surprisingly were peaceful protesters as the "Big Six" leaders expected violence, and had raised money to provide medical assistance and police for safety. The marchers believed that ever since the Emancipation Proclamation that African Americans in the southern states still did not live in an equal world. Therefore, they fought for that right of jobs and freedom by coming together with others and protesting for civil rights.
Bet You Didn't Know: March on Washington | History