March on Washington• The March on Washington for Jobs

and Freedom was a large political rally in Washington, D.C., August 28, 1963.

• Organized by the Big Five of CR organizations: – SNCC–NAACP– SCLC–CORE–And the Negro Urban League

• Dr. King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech for racial harmony at the Lincoln Memorial.

• Over 250,000 marchers. About 80% were Af Am.

• The march is credited as helping to pass the CR Act of 1964 & the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

“I Have A Dream”Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say

to you today, my friends.And so even though we face the difficulties of

today and tomorrow, I still have a dream….I have a dream that one day this nation will

rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.“…

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice…will transform into an oasis of freedom and justice…

I have a dream today!

SNCC Leader John Lewis’ Speech“We march today for jobs and freedom, but

we have nothing to be proud of, for hundreds and thousands of our brothers are not here—for they have no money for their transportation, for they are receiving starvation wages…or no wages at all… We come here today with a great sense of misgiving…

In good conscience, we cannot support wholeheartedly the administration's civil rights bill, for it is too little and too late...

I want to know, which side is the federal government on?...

Civil Rights Act of 1964

• A landmark piece of legislation in the U.S.

• Outlawed racial segregation in schools, at work, and in public facilities

• Far-reaching consequences – gay/lesbian rights, bilingual education, women’s rights, etc