Explain why the "March on Washington"took place in 1963.

A massive protest march occurred in August 1963, for Jobs and Freedom. About 250,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The incident is known as the March on Washington.

The objective of the event was to draw attention to the unending challenges and discrimination faced by African Americans.

Demands

• Eliminating the Jim Crow laws.
• Desegregation of all schools.
• Equal opportunity to public facilities i.e. accommodations, housing, education, and jobs.
• Eradication of the economic deprivation and exploitation of African Americans.
• Introduction of the federal Fair Employment Practices Act that would ban discriminatory hiring practices.
• The rise of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

President’s concern

The then-president John F. Kennedy met with civil rights leaders. He was afraid that the gathering may lead to violence. He termed the march as ill-timed.

Dream speech

The Dream speech was associated with Martin Luthar King Jr. He quoted “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.”

Topics: GS-IV: Ethics and Human Interface