"Fifty years ago, the march changed people's consciousness about what
was going on in this great free country," she said. "It was a real show
of strength from people of all races and a real American thing to do."
The 1963 March on Washington was a watershed moment in the American civil rights movement because it was attended by 250,000 people, graced by King's speech at the Lincoln Memorial and followed by the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. Several changes are evident 50 years later. For instance, women are playing a more visible role in the march, just as they are in today's world. Also, issues such as immigration reform will be discussed. Activists will use technology and social media to connect people and causes.
Myriad concerns are motivating people to demonstrate through the streets of Washington. Some want to see self-defense laws changed after a jury found Florida neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman innocent of murdering 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Others say they want unemployment and poverty rates lowered and more
job opportunities for working-class people. Still more say they are
concerned about voter rights after the Supreme Court in June struck down
a coverage formula in the 1965 Voting Rights Act used to monitor states
with a history of discrimination.
This August 28, 1963 file photo shows US civil rights leader Martin
Luther King waving from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to supporters
on the Mall in Washington, DC, during the "March on Washington". US
President Barack Obama will mark the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther
King's "I have a dream" speech by speaking from the same steps at the
Lincoln Memorial in Washington.(Photo: Getty Images)
The 1963 March on Washington was a watershed moment in the American civil rights movement because it was attended by 250,000 people, graced by King's speech at the Lincoln Memorial and followed by the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. Several changes are evident 50 years later. For instance, women are playing a more visible role in the march, just as they are in today's world. Also, issues such as immigration reform will be discussed. Activists will use technology and social media to connect people and causes.
Myriad concerns are motivating people to demonstrate through the streets of Washington. Some want to see self-defense laws changed after a jury found Florida neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman innocent of murdering 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
