The March on Washington
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.