The March on Washington

Author Bonnie Bader
Illustrator Kelley McMorris
Originally Published © 2019 American Girl
ISBN 9781338193015
 

A March toward Freedom

One August 28, 1963, more than 250,000 people gathered at the capital of the United States in Washington D.C. They walked together, some more than 200 miles, singing:

  We shall overcome
  We shall overcome
  We shall overcome, some day

They came to protest the unfair treatment of black people in the U.S. At that time, segregation was rampant. Black children went to separate schools from white children. Black adults couldn’t freely vote. Black people couldn’t sit with white people on buses or in movie theaters or restaurants. Blacks couldn’t be hired for specific jobs just because of the color of their skin. The marchers wanted the U.S. government to pass laws that would give black people the same opportunities as white people.

People of all ages, from every part of the country, gathered together to march for equality. Ericka Jenkins was fifteen years old, living in Washington D.C. As she saw the protestors outside her home, she joined them. She marched her way through the neighborhood to the National Monument. People were there standing, laughing, and listening. Children of every size, pregnant women, and elderly people. People of all races marched. They sang together, listened to speeches, and demanded the government take action.

More than 100 years of protests, demonstrations, boycotts, sit-ins, and court cases led to this powerful moment in history.

 

We Are Americans

Melody Ellison is talking with her grandfather, mother, and sisters. Her grandfather says it’s a shame that colored folks still have to be afraid of standing up or speaking out for themselves. Melody’s mother corrects him, with the word “Negroes.” Yvonne, Melody’s older sister, speaks up and says “Black people.” Lila, Melody’s younger sister asks Yvonne what they’re supposed to call themselves.

Melody knows her grandparents always called them “colored.” That was the proper word when they were growing up in the South. Mommy and Daddy say “Negroes.” But since Yvonne went to college, she’s been saying “Black people.” Melody suggests they call themselves “Americans.” Yvonne nods, they are Americans. And they have the same rights as white Americans. Therefore, there shouldn’t be any separate water fountains, waiting rooms, or public bathrooms. Black Americans deserve equal treatment and equal pay.

Yvonne says the best way to remind white folks of that is to stop shopping at stores that don’t hire black workers, and picket in front of restaurants that don’t serve black people. By marching. Melody knows Yvonne stands up for what she believes in. Melody hopes that she can be as brave as her sister.

 

Jim Crow Laws

In 1776, when the United States became its own country, it wrote in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal.” But it didn’t truly mean all men. Black people in America weren’t considered equal to white people.

The first enslaved people were brought to Jamestown, Virginia in 1619 from Africa. They were forced to work as slaves with no pay. Enslaved people had no rights at all. In 1861, the Civil War began, divided by the issue of slavery. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all people enslaved in Confederate states free. In 1865, people in the South could not ignore the proclamation any longer, and the black people who had been enslaved officially became citizens.

But free did not mean treated equally. Prejudice and racism still existed, especially in the South. Between the 1870s and the 1950s, some states created laws that segregated black people from white people. Black people weren’t allowed into many hotels, stores, and hospitals. Restaurants and theaters had separate doors for black people, and could refuse to serve black people at all. Black people had separate drinking fountains, often marked “white” and “colored.” Black people had to ride in the back of the bus, and black people and white people went to separate schools. Schools for black children had fewer books and supplies than schools for white children, and the buildings were often in poorer condition. If black people didn’t follow the laws, they could face punishment or even death. Living under these conditions made living in the South very frightening for black people.

These laws were all part of the Jim Crow laws. When a white person dressed up as Jim Crow, he would darken his face with charcoal and make fun of black people. Therefore, “Jim Crow” is a negative way of talking about black people. The fears of being punished for breaking Jim Crow laws dominated a black person’s life. Jim Crow laws didn’t exist in the North, but black people living there still faced segregation and discrimination. And when a black person from the North visited the South, they’d have to abide by the Jim Crow laws. Richard Hill, originally from St. Louis, Missouri, always thought his mother was just telling stories about the segregation laws in the South. But when he visited his grandmother in Mississippi, he was shocked to learn she was telling the truth. His mother continued to remind him that he could be anything he wanted, but that he’d have to work three or four times harder to get it.

Black people also faced challenges trying to vote for politicians to help change these laws. Although the 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, granted black men the right to vote, that didn’t mean they could freely vote. In some states, black people were charged an unfair poll tax that they couldn’t afford. In other states, black people had to pass a literacy test to vote. The test was given by a white person who could make the test as hard as they wanted. Of course, a white person wouldn’t have to pay a poll tax or pass any kind of test.

The Jim Crow laws continued to restrict life for black people in the South for generations. Of course, something had to be done to fix these injustices.

 

A Lasting Memory

Once, when Melody was only four, her grandparents took her South. It was very hot, and they ran out of lemonade. When Poppa stopped at a gas station in Alabama, Melody begged for a refreshing drink from a Coca-Cola machine. Poppa gave her a nickel, and Big Momma walked her to the machine.

But then, when they got closer, Big Momma stopped them. She said the machine was broken. They went back to their car. But then, Melody saw a little white girl about her age go up to the machine, and withdraw a frosty bottle. Melody shouted that the machine wasn’t broken. But Big Momma put Melody back in the car and they drove away. Melody cried for a long time.

Now that Melody is older, she understands more. A few years later, they were again driving through the South and stopped at a gas station in Tennessee. Melody got out to stretch her legs and saw a similar soda machine. And above it was a sign, reading “Whites Only.” Melody realized the machine in Alabama probably had the same sign.

When Melody asked Big Momma why she hadn’t told her about the sign in the first place, Big Momma replied, “Because it hurt me too much. I didn’t want to hurt you, too.”

 

A Movement Begins

For black people, speaking out against unfair treatment was an enormous risk, especially in the South. They could be arrested, lose their jobs, or their homes could be destroyed. They could be beaten or killed. But despite the risks, many black men and women did speak out and challenge the unfair treatment. In the early 1900s, they created new groups and organizations to challenge racist laws. The most famous was the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which was founded in 1909. The NAACP had both black and white leaders who worked to improve the lives of black people in the U.S.

There were other people to improve the lives of black people, too. A. Philip Randolph founded an organization for black railroad porters in 1925, called the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. This was one of the first times that black people had a union to help them fight against unfair treatment. In 1937, after protesting unfair conditions for the black porters, the Brotherhood got the workers more money, shorter working hours, and better working conditions. Randolph and other members of the union learned that organizing and protesting could change an unfair situation.

Inspired by the Brotherhood’s success, Randolph decided to try and protest in other ways. During World War II, Randolph led a march to protest hiring discrimination by companies making equipment and supplies for the military. Over 100,000 people planned to show up. But a week before the march, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an order prohibiting discrimination in the defense industry. Just planning a march had been enough to create change.

By the end of the war, black people had learned how to organize and spread their message. They knew protests could be powerful. They were starting a movement. This movement wasn’t about violence. It was about justice. It was peaceful and organized. It became known as the civil rights movement.

 

That’s Not Fair

After school, Melody and Mommy are entering the lobby of Detroit Bank. They’re the only black people in sight. Melody takes a deep breath, and reminds herself that she’s standing up for her sister, and for making things fair.

When it’s her turn, Melody steps up to the counter. The bank teller is an older white woman with red hair. Melody announces she’d like to withdraw her money. The teller asks how much. Melody responds, “All of it.” The teller asks if she’s sure. If Melody withdraws all of her money, then the account will be closed. Melody firmly responds, “Yes.” Melody’s older sister wanted to apply for a summer job at that bank because she’s good with numbers and money, but the bank wouldn’t even let her apply because she’s black. And that’s not fair. This bank discriminates against black people. Melody doesn’t want her money there anymore.

 

Brown and Boycotts

At the end of World War II, black people were newly energized. They had unions and organizers to lead them. In the 1950s, NAACP challenged America’s segregated school system. Black parents had learned they couldn’t enroll their kids in the local schools because they were only for white children. But the schools for white children were closer. Linda Brown, one of the children, was a black third grader living in Topeka, Kansas. To get to the black school, she’d have to walk six blocks, cross railroad tracks, and take a two mile bus ride. The NAACP sued the Topeka Board of Education. The case—Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas—went all the way to the Supreme Court.

Thurgood Marshall argued the side of Brown. Marshall showed that separating children by color was unequal. Marshall demanded a change to the law. All nine of the Supreme Court Justices, who were all white men, voted against school segregation. Now, black children could legally go to the same school as white children.

In 1955, fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin was riding home on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She had been studying the Bill of Rights in school. When the bus driver told Claudette to give up her seat to a white passenger, she refused. Claudette realized she was being treated unfairly, and she could do something to change the system. By staying seated, Claudette was showing an example of civil disobedience. Even though she was fifteen, she was arrested and thrown in jail.

Later that year, eighteen-year-old Mary Louise Smith followed in her path, refusing to give up her bus seat. She was also thrown in jail. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was riding on a bus in the “colored” section at the back. As the bus filled up, the driver told her to give up her seat for a white man. Rosa refused. She was arrested and jailed. A local group called the Women’s Political Council decided to stage a one-day boycott of the Montgomery city buses. They asked all black people to refuse to ride the bus on Monday, December 5. They argued that if Negroes didn’t ride the buses, the buses couldn’t operate. This was a form of economic protest.

Although it was difficult for black Americans to stop using the bus, they knew they had to be strong in order to make big changes. Instead of their boycott lasting one day, it lasted more than a year. Black people formed a group called the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), and they chose twenty-six-year-old Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to be their leader. They organized carpools so people could get to work. Each night, the black community met in King’s church to sing and listen to speeches. They showed one another they were not alone.

Without black riders, the bus company lost between thirty and forty thousand fares each day. By January, the bus company was nearly broke, but it continued functioning without its black passengers. In December 1956, the Supreme Court made segregated buses illegal.

The bus boycott showed young African Americans they could use their voices to fight for fairer conditions in their towns. All over the country, black students started their own economic protests. In Greensboro, North Carolina, one of the most famous economic protests began on February 1, 1960. Four black college students sat down at a lunch counter in a Woolworth’s store and asked for coffee. The lunch counter was for whites only, so the waitress refused to serve them. The four students didn’t move. They refused to leave until the store closed. The next day, there were twenty-seven students. The day after, sixty-three out of the sixty-five seats were filled with black students. On the fourth day, 100 students filled the store. With every seat occupied by a black person, the lunch counter couldn’t make any money.

The students taught each other how to be organized during their protest. They had to sit in shifts, and not respond with violence even when they were attacked by angry white crowds. White people shouted at them, and others would throw food and drinks at them. Some white people would hit them. But the students remained seated and did not fight back.

Afraid of the violence, white people would avoid downtown stores. Black customers boycotted them. Without customers, stores in the South were in serious trouble. In the North, people protested outside Woolworth’s stores and boycotted them. On July 25, 1960, they agreed to desegregate the lunch counters. Once again, economic protests had managed to create real change.

 

Boycott!

Once a month, families from Melody’s neighborhood get together for a meeting of the Block Club. The kids play games, while their parents discuss what’s going on in Detroit and the community. Melody overhears the adults discussing Fieldston’s Clothing Store. Apparently, they act as if every Negro customer is going to steal something, even though they’re in the middle of a Negro community. Melody’s father says that’s not right.

Melody barges into the living room. She announces that Fieldston’s does discriminate against black people. Once, she was accused of shoplifting by the manager. Melody thinks they shouldn’t spend their money in a store that treats them like that. Melody’s father nods his head. He suggests they protest by boycotting Fieldston’s. Mrs. Harris isn’t sure. But Daddy explains that if they picket in front of the store and hand out leaflets, the store will have to pay attention, especially when they start losing money.

Melody’s friends stare at her as she reenters the kitchen. Diane Harris asks if Melody thinks people really will boycott Fieldston’s. Melody makes a decision. She’s going to make a picket sign and carry it in the boycott. Maybe a boycott will make Fieldston’s change, which would be better for everybody. Melody reminds Diane that if their parents don’t get treated fairly, then they won’t either. Kids need to stand up and march for equal rights, too.

Diane nods. Maybe all the kids should all march.

 

The World Is Watching

The civil rights movement grew and grew, and television and reporters started to report on its efforts. Protestors realized the media was powerful, and decided to find opportunities to capture America’s racism on camera. In 1955, fourteen-year-old Emmett Till visited his cousins in Mississippi. His mother warned him to be careful because life in Mississippi was very different from life in Chicago. Emmett’s cousins had never seen white and black children together like the photos Emmett brought. One day, they went to a store, and on their way out, Emmett said, “Bye, baby,” to a young white lady working at the store.

Four days later, the white lady’s husband and brother-in-law kidnapped Emmett. They beat him, shot him, and threw his body in the river. When his body was recovered, he was unrecognizable. At his funeral, his mother pushed for an open casket so the world could see what the white men did to him. Magazines printed photos of Emmett’s body. Now, the world finally could see how terrifying life was for young black people in Mississippi.

Two years later, the Little Rock School Board agreed to slowly start integrating their schools. They selected nine black students who had excellent grades to attend Central High School. All nine students agreed to meet and go there together. But Elizabeth Eckford didn’t receive the message, and she faced a mob of several hundred angry white people, who shouted and spat at her. They even threatened to kill her. Still, Elizabeth kept walking forward. When she reached the guards at the door, they blocked her, and Elizabeth had to return home. A photo of Elizabeth walking, with a white student screaming at her from behind, was spread.

It was the nine students’ right to attend Central High School, and many people agreed. It was time to peacefully fight for change.

 

The Picket Line

At 10 AM in the morning, a group gathers in front of Fieldston’s. Almost fifty people have shown up to protest. Melody’s father walks among the people, passing out leaflets and protest signs. Melody and her mother stand at the ready with Melody’s protest sign, too, which says “Support our Boycott!” They cross the street together.

Many protestors look directly ahead as they walk past the windows of Fieldston’s, but Melody looks inside. She sees the manager who’d accused her and Dwayne of shoplifting. Their eyes lock. Melody wonders if he recognizes her. As he realizes the line isn’t ending, and the chanting isn’t stopping, his face pales.

Melody watches a white man stop at the door of Fieldston’s. Melody’s father hands him a leaflet, and after reading, it slowly backs away from the store without crossing the picket line.

Somebody begins to sing, and Melody joins in, as loud as she can. Together, they form a rhythm of voices. Melody realizes that she’s connected to people she’ll never know: the people from the past who were mistreated, and the people in the future who won’t face this sort of discrimination. If their boycott is a success, things will change.

That night, Melody’s legs ache from walking, and her arms are tired from holding up her sign. But her heart feels stronger knowing that she’s been a part of something she believes in. When they hear about their boycott on the radio, Melody feels like the whole world is listening.

 

The Children’s Crusade

By 1963, Martin Luther King realized how powerful images in the media were. So, he decides to head south to one of the most segregated cities, Birmingham, Alabama. A police commissioner named Eugene “Bull” Connor was in charge of Birmingham, and he was determined to keep the city segregated. King and the leaders of his protest group, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SDLC), planned to confront Connor.

The SDLC led sit-ins, marches to city hall, held church services, and sang freedom songs. To prevent the SDLC from protesting, the city banned demonstrations. The SDLC protested anyway, and on April 12, protestors and King were arrested. King was released on April 20. At the suggestion of an adviser, he tried something new. He decided that if children protested instead, they wouldn’t get fired when they were sent to jail. So, he started the Children’s Crusade.

The SDLC talked to black school children all over the city and encouraged them to join the march. One of the children was fourteen-year-old Carolyn McKinstry. She could feel the excitement in the air and wanted to be a part of it, despite knowing her parents would think it was too dangerous.

The organizers taught the children about sit-ins and peaceful protests. On May 2, nearly one thousand black students stayed out of school and began the marching at 16th Street Baptist Church. They took to the streets fifty at a time, singing as they marched toward downtown. The children were almost all arrested, and by the end of the day, nearly 959 children had been taken to jail.

The next day, the children returned. Police Commissioner Connor tried to stop them with ferocious dogs that ripped their clothing and bit them. The police turned on fire hoses which were so strong, they knocked children to the ground. The water was powerful enough to tear bark off trees. And the press caught it all on camera.

Despite all of this, the children continued to march. Soon, Birmingham’s jails were overcrowded, and newly arrested students were brought to a local fairground where they would sleep on cots and sing freedom songs. The stories of the children’s arrests filled the newspapers and evening news programs. All of America watched in horror.

On May 10, Birmingham’s city leaders freed everyone who had been jailed, and they began to desegregate businesses. In mid-June, President John F. Kennedy announced his plans for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which would ban segregation in all public places and make job discrimination based on race illegal. Civil rights leaders realized they needed strength in numbers to build support for the Civil Rights Act. So, they decided to plan another march—this time in Washington D.C.

 

Too Scary to Stay

Cousin Charles and his family are talking with Melody and her family. He explains to Melody’s parents that things are getting too tense in Birmingham. Charles’ wife, Tish, explains that it’s not just tense. It’s dangerous. The police turned dogs and fire hoses against the protesting children.

Melody knows what Tish is talking about. Everybody has heard about the protests and seen it on TV. Val, Charles and Tish’s daughter, is eleven. When Val first wrote to Melody explaining they’d be moving to Detroit, Melody was excited. But she had no idea the reason they were moving was because it was too scary to stay in Birmingham.

Val says there was always police in the streets at night, people getting arrested left and right. Melody exclaims that the kids were very brave. Val agrees, but they’re just children. Melody says they still count. It’s their world, too.

 

Planning the March

Beginning July 2, 1963, civil rights activists gathered in New York City to begin planning the march. Several other important civil rights organizations were at the meeting, including Martin Luther King Jr., A. Philip Randolph, and Baynard Rustin. The group of men formed a list of ten demands for their march. They decided to call it the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It’d call for equal rights in employment, education, housing, and voting.

They worked to raise about $100,000 by soliciting church groups and labor unions, asking celebrities to host fundraisers, and selling buttons. Selling the buttons alone, they raised about $15,000 in one month. The organization mailed thousands of manuals to civil rights organizations and churches, explaining how to prepare for the march and what to do on the day of the march. They distributed pamphlets about the march. The goal was to get at least 100,000 people to come to the march. Rustin held press conferences and speeches, and spoke on the radio and on TV. He gave interviews to magazines and journalists. Rustin made sure everyone in America knew about the march.

The organizers wanted to encourage people from all races to walk with them. They knew it would be stronger if they showed that black people and white people were not always “locked in mortal warfare.” Soon, people of other races joined in to organize the march.

The organizations chartered buses and forty trains for the event. They set up shuttle buses to transport people from the train station to the march site. They set up first aid stations, bathrooms, and security. More than 4,000 police officers and members of the National Guard would be present, and an additional 4,000 army and marine troops would be on call in case they needed additional help. In addition, they had 2,000 marshals, who could help control a crowd without force.

President Kennedy initially didn’t support the march because he felt the timing was wrong. King responded that he has never engaged in any direct-action movement which did not seem ill-timed. The President eventually announced his public support.

Many women were involved in the civil rights movement. But none of them were asked to speak at the event—only men were included. In fact, the women were all asked to march behind the men. Many women thought this was unfair. Anna Arnold Hedgeman, a black woman, and the only woman on the organizing committee was outraged that they weren’t letting any women speak. Even after they agreed to add a tribute to the women who had fought for freedom, they still planned on having a man deliver it. Hedgeman eventually convinced Randolph that a woman should be the one to speak.

The night before the march, the sound system Rustin had set up was sabotaged. Although the march was still planned to continue the next day, it worried the organizers. Would there be more trouble the next day? Could they keep everyone safe?

 

Important Work

When Melody enters the kitchen, Yvonne is there, making lots of sandwiches. Yvonne explains the sandwiches are for the group taking the bus down to D.C. for the march. They’re leaving that evening, and they’re all bringing food to share. Melody begins to help wrap them.

Yvonne is excited for the march. She explains one of the goals of the march is to make it easier for black people to buy houses, like how their cousins were denied purchasing a house simply because they were black. Yvonne says that hopefully there’ll be thousands of people at the march, and a crowd that big would force the government to change laws all over the country.

When Melody asks if it’ll be as big as the Walk to Freedom march that Dr. King spoke at a few months ago in Detroit. Yvonne smiles, saying that it may be even bigger, and that their goal is that all the TV news programs will cover it. And then after the march, Yvonne will be going back to school. Time goes fast while doing important work.

 

The People Come and Come and Come

The morning of August 28, the day of the march, had arrived. Protestors had come from all over. A group of thirteen teenagers from Brooklyn traveled on foot over 280 miles over the course of the last thirteen days. Twenty-seven-year-old Ledger Smith had roller skated over 700 miles from Chicago, and eighty-two-year-old Jay Hardo rode his bicycle from Dayton, Ohio. Thirteen-year-old John Hochheimer boarded a bus from Virginia alone. He had heard about the violence and segregation in the South, and it reminded him of the evils his Jewish family experienced during the Holocaust. Other protestors poured out of the trains at Union Station at 7:30am, from Chicago, Detroit, Tallahassee, and other cities around the country.

The protestors met at the National Mall for the march to begin at 11:30am. They sang freedom songs and gospel tunes, which made them feel united. Well-known singers like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Mahalia Jackson,and Peter, Paul and Mary entertained the crowd. Famous figures like Jackie Robinson, Marian Anderson, Sammy Davis Jr., Charlton Heston, Diahann Carroll, and Marlon Brandon were there. By 11am, nearly 100,000 had gathered.

The march was to begin at 11:30am, led by the organizers. But they were surprised when around 11:20am, the group of people began to move. The march had begun without them.

 

Getting to Washington D.C.

Melody asks her mom how long it takes to get to Washington D.C. They didn’t sleep well the night before, wondering if Yvonne made it safely. Mommy replies they should be there by now. Then, the phone rings. Melody jumps to answer the phone. It’s Yvonne. Melody can hear her dropping coins into the pay phone.

Yvonne says it’s wild there. There are so many buses that they had to park in a long line and walk to where the march is starting. There’s thousands of folks there from everywhere. Buses from California, Louisiana, and she overheard someone speaking with a British accent. It seems like their calls for equal rights in America have been heard around the world.

 

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

The marchers took two routes leading to the Lincoln Memorial. By noon, the National Mall was a sea of people. Eleven-year-old Odehyah Gough-Israel was walking down the Mall with her thirteen-year-old sister. They were impressed by the freedom songs. When they sang “We Shall Overcome” it was with such passion and emotion. They felt empowered.

TV cameras followed the crowd. In 1963, it was rare for TV stations to broadcast live for many hours in a row, but on this day, one network canceled all of their programs to broadcast the march. Millions of people around the world watched the event straight from their homes.

Just after 2 PM, A. Philip Randolph got in front of the group to give opening remarks. He declared that this is only the beginning, and that after they leave, it’ll be to carry the civil rights revolution home with them and to spread it across the land. Daisy Gatson Bates presented the “Tribute to Negro Women Fighters for Freedom” that Hedgeman had fought so hard to include. They called out five women to honor, including Rosa Parks. Bates didn’t have a long time to speak, but she made sure to make it clear that women were an important part of the civil rights movement and could not be overlooked.

As the day progressed, people got hot and restless. Some would try to find shade from trees, and others cooled off in the reflecting pool. Others packed up and went home. But when Mahalia Jackson performed two songs, the people swayed, clapped, and sang along. Finally, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. got on stage. The crowd was silent and still. King reminded the crowd that the Emancipation Proclamation promised freedom for all African Americans. Yet, 100 years later, this had not been fulfilled. It was time for justice, equality, and civil rights. And then, he deviated from his script, and said some of the most famous words ever spoken: “I have a dream… I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Everybody listened intently. Some sobbed, others nodded and shouted in agreement. Everybody was united, proud to be standing together with others who wanted to make things right. Photographer Rowland Scherman was taking photos that day, and captured a photo of Edith Lee-Payne from Detroit, Michigan. She was celebrating her twelfth birthday by attending the march with her mother. That photo became famous, appearing in documentaries, textbooks, and museum exhibits.

At 4:30 PM, the march was over, and everybody got back in their cars, buses, and trains. A. Philip Randolph later said that this had been the most glorious day of his life.

 

A Day to Remember

After the march, Yvonne goes back to college. A few days later, Melody gets a big envelope in the mail. It’s a postcard with a letter. Yvonne has scribbled a message very fast. It’s a diary entry.

  “10 a.m. We were starving, because we ate all of our sandwiches on the bus. But we met some other students from Howard University here in Washington. They showed us where to eat cheap! So many college students here, ready for change!

  “It’s so hot already that my blouse is sticking to my back.

  “11 a.m. Somebody said there are movie stars and famous people here. I’ve only seen lots of newspaper and TV reporters. I think this march is going to be famous!

  “12 noon. Everyone’s starting to march toward the National Mall! We’re shoulder to shoulder, but even strangers are polite and friendly. I can see the Lincoln Memorial where the speakers are—but it looks really far away…

  “Miss Mahalia Jackson’s gospel singing makes me feel tingly all over. We clapped so much that she sang two songs instead of one.

  “Oh, Reverend King just finished! At first it sounded like the speech he gave at the Walk to Freedom in Detroit. But it wasn’t. We all chanted with him: ‘Free at last! Free at last!’"

The postcard is of the Lincoln Memorial, with a big white building, lots of steps, and tall columns. Melody can imagine thousands of people coming together to march for equality and justice. She can picture Dr. King at the top of the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and Yvonne raising her sign and cheering. Melody knows Yvonne will never forget that day, and neither will Melody.

 

Success and Sorrow

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom broke the record for the largest civil rights demonstration with almost 250,000 people. About 70% were black, and 30% were white or other races. They all had the same goal: equality for everyone. There was no violence. Those who walked, stood, and sang together felt a deep sense of unity.

Thousands of people watched the live coverage on TV, and it was the first time many of them had ever seen Martin Luther King Jr. speak. His speech made so many feel so proud of America.

Despite the successful march, some lawmakers in the South were against the civil rights bill, and dragged their feet, keeping it from going to a vote for months.

Less than three weeks after the march, an act of racial violence shocked the world. White supremacists bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Four young black girls were killed. Two months later, in November 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson became president, and he worked hard to pass the civil rights bill, and on July 2, 1964, the Civil Rights Act became law. It outlawed discrimination in all public places, such as hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and theaters, required public schools no longer be segregated, and made it illegal for employers to discriminate based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin.

But things still did not change overnight. Civil rights activists continued to organize and lead civil disobedience, economic protests, and legal battles. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was passed, preventing states from making people pass literacy tests before they could vote. On April 11, 1968, the Fair Housing Act was passed, making it illegal to discriminate when renting or selling property.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. never saw the Fair Housing Act enacted, for he was assassinated April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. Although the civil rights movement had lost one of their strongest voices, they knew they had to continue without him. The courageous acts of civil disobedience led the way for new generations to continue fighting inequality.

 

Melody’s Story Continues

Val, Yvonne, and Melody walk along a street in Birmingham, Alabama Suddenly, Val stops. She points to an ice cream parlor at the end of the block. Val explains that before they left for Detroit, there was a sign in the window that said “Whites Only.” But now, the sign is gone. Yvonne reminds Melody that discrimination against black people is illegal now that the Civil Rights Act was passed. Now, they can shop anywhere.

Melody suggests they get some ice cream, and she and Yvonne start walking. Val is hesitant. What if they still won’t serve them? Yvonne says they have to. As they enter the shop, Melody feels like this is about more than just ice cream. It’s about justice and fairness and more changes that will keep making things better.

 

Epilogue

Although many laws have been passed to make it illegal to discriminate, racism and discrimination still exist in the United States. Fifty years later, Edith Lee-Payne recalls that she has still been rejected for jobs just because she was black, even if they come up with other excuses. They’d tell her the position was already filled, or that she probably wouldn’t like the job anyway. But the truth is, they never said these things until she walked through the door.

Today, people continue to fight for civil rights, no matter what race, sexuality, or gender they are. Americans are not stopped protesting, boycotting, demonstrating, sitting in, and standing up for equality.

Notes From Me

The book states the following message on language:

Throughout the 1900s, the terms Negro, colored, and black were all used to describe Americans of African descent. You’ll see all of those words used in this book.

Today, Negro and colored can be offensive because they are associated with racial inequality. The term African American wasn’t commonly used until the late 1980s.

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