The March on Washington

The March on Washington

Martin Luther King, Jr., an Alabama preacher, first received national attention in 1955 for organizing a boycott of the city of Montgomery's segregated bus system. The boycott lasted for 80 days and ended when the Supreme Court outlawed segregation in public transportation. King was then only 25-years old.
His calls for non-violent protest inspired sit-ins in segregated restaurants across the South. In 1960, more than 50,000 people participated in demonstrations in over 100 cities across the country. 3,600 demonstrators were jailed.
Over the next three years, King continued to organize peaceful protests.
During the first three months of 1963, the Justice Department recorded 1,412 civil-rights "disturbances." While these demonstrations succeeded in drawing media attention, they did little to improve race relations.
In Alabama, protesters were met with billy-clubs, tear gas, and high-powered water hoses, and Governor George Wallace responded to a Supreme Court order to integrate schools by personally pledging to block the entry of black students at the University of Alabama, proclaiming, "Segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever."
Early in 1963, civil-rights leaders began planning a massive march on Washington. Martin Luther King was asked to deliver the keynote address.
President Kennedy, hoping to draw public attention away from racial unrest, was against the idea. The march, he said, would "create an atmosphere of intimidation" on Capitol Hill.
To placate the President, organizers agreed to outlaw protests in Congressional offices and censored speeches calling for militant action.
More than 200,000 people--more than 1/4 the total population of Washington, D.C.--arrived for the march. In the afternoon, the multitudes gathered to hear songs and speeches. Eight hours after the ceremonies began, Martin Luther King walked up to the podium, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and began.
By using biblical language, King created a moral imperative; his marchers became crusaders, and he, a symbolic Moses, would deliver Americans to the promised land. "Let Justice roll like water" is from Amos 5. King's vision of "exalted valleys and mountains," according to Jesus, are the words of Isaiah.
The speech was structured like a classic tale of good triumphing over evil. Using Lincoln's words, King began with a discussion of the past: "Five score years ago." King then spoke of the present: "Now is the time." Then King ended with the future: "I have a dream." By reciting the words of "My Country 'tis of Thee," King invited all Americans to participate in the final victory.
King does not discuss racial quotas, equal pay laws, school integration, fair housing laws, voter-redistricting plans or any other specific steps to achieve his dream. By avoiding these contentious issues, King maintains wide support for the idea of a civil-rights bill without getting bogged down in the details. Few could argue with King's imagery of little black boys and black girls joining hands with little white boys and white girls.
Within two months of King's speech, Congress passed a new civil-rights bill into law.

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