March on Washington, 1963
March on Washington, 1963 was one of the biggest steps towards improvement of the life of African Americans, also called, Black Americans who were treated as downtrodden by the White Americans. In the March towards the Washington for their rights, almost 2, 50,000 African Americans accumulated peacefully for the promotion of their economic equality and civil rights.
Main faces of the March on Washington, 1963
The impactful march towards the Washington was initiated by A. Philip Randolph, international president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, president of the Negro American Labor Council, and vice president of the AFL-CIO. Apart from Randolph, other key member or rather faces of this march were Whitney Young, President of the National Urban League (NUL); Roy Wilkins, President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); James Farmer, President of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE); John Lewis, President of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC); and Martin Luther King Jr. founder and President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
How was March on Washington, 1963 planned?
Rustin along with his other staff planned for the March on Washington, 1963 from his small office located in Harlem. The money that had to be raised for the massive march was done by selling buttons at a minimal cost of 25 cents per piece. Apart from sale of buttons, cash contributions were made by a lot of people as well. Things like transportation, safety of marchers and their health were all tackled by the staff. The march began on 28th August 1963 where 2, 00,000 people had arrived at the Washington monument. The crowd comprised of all sorts of people including whites, rich and poor, Hollywood stars and common man.
The Impact
March on Washington, 1963 had a vital impact as far as the civil rights issue was concerned. The march was very peaceful and the marchers had accumulated in the planned and peaceful approach. The issue of civil rights was brought to the notice and attention of the authorities through this March on Washington, 1963. The march was a huge success and infact beyond everyone’s expectations. After the end of the march, President Kennedy agreed to meet the organizers and talk about the issue. The non-violent and laissez-faire approach of the protest created the desired impact on the authorities and for the betterment of the African Americans. Hence, this march is considered crucial in the history.
