The March on Washington
August, 1963
By Charles I. Cassell
I was one of the participants in the March on Washington, August 28, 1963. This very moving event was one of the most encouraging and heart-warming events in my life. To have been present during Dr. Martin Luther King's eloquent "I Have a Dream" address to the nation was indeed an overwhelming experience for me.
One of the great tragedies in American history was the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968. He was the twentieth century's outstanding proponent of justice, peace and forgiveness among all humankind.
The crusade that he led included concerned people from the world's many religions. His focus upon the injustice and inequality in the nation grew to such proportions that existing patterns of color discrimination and the waging of war became politically untenable. His passionate pursuit of adherence to the principles that underlie all religions and to which we all claim allegiance, brought him the highly prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.
Subsequent to his assassination by the forces of darkness, political enlightenment brought about a substantial reduction in the constant physical and social abuse which he and his ethnic brethren had endured for generations..
While it is widely assumed that the March on Washington in 1963 was a project of Dr. King's, it was actually organized by A. Phillip Randolph, the president of the Sleeping Car and Pullman Porters Union who, together with many other protest organizations, led the demonstration on the National Mall in Washington, DC. One of the themes of the demonstration was "the March For Jobs and Justice."
Although Martin Luther King, Jr. was well known in the protest movement, prior to his extraordinary "I Have A Dream" speech, his fame was not yet legend. The speech was so moving, so full of hope and free of bitterness, that from that point on, he was considered the Prince of Peace and an exemplar of fidelity to the religious principles to which so many Americans profess.
Among the other speakers were the renowned vocalist, Joan Baez; Bayard Rustin, labor leader in New York; and former Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee chairman, John Lewis, now a Congressman from Georgia; and A. Phillip Randolph.
As can be seen from the photos taken at the top of the Lincoln Memorial steps, looking toward the U.S. Capitol building, the demonstration was the largest in the history of the National Mall. The quarter of a million attendees stretched eastward across 17th Street and up the hill to the Washington Monument, a distance of nearly one mile.
It was a thrilling experience to be in the midst of that highly ethnic variety of Americans, all of whom were united in brotherhood and purpose. Near the end of that momentous demonstration, the song "We shall overcome," wafted throughout the Mall, reflecting an impressive emotional response to Dr. King's historic "I have a dream" speech.
The National Mall is the site of the largest American demonstration, and that of scores of others pleading for fair and equal treatment. It should remain and scores of other demonstratons for fairness and openness in our society
This grand, green and open expanse, the nation's national park and hallowed ground must continue to reflect the open, democratic spirit of America and should certainly remain unobstructed by new construction thereon.
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