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On August 28, 1963 thousand of American demonstrators made their way to Washington, to demand social an equal justice. Also known as the march on Jobs and Freedom.
Work came to a halt in the whole nation. It was a day like no other. To show support for major civil rights legislation that was pending in congress. The event aimed to draw attention to continuing challenges and inequalities faced by African Americans a century after emancipation.
They wanted the federal Minimum wage raised nearly 75 %, from $1.15 an hour to $2.00 an hour.
All in all the march was about

1. Civil rights

2. Racial equality

3. Voting rights

4. Need for Jobs

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The 1963 March on Washington had several precedents. In the summer of 1941 A. Philip Randolph, founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, called for a march on Washington, D.C., to draw attention to the exclusion of African Americans from some job positions. The threat of 100,000 marchers in Washington, D.C., pushed President Franklin D. Roosevelt to ordain an investigation about racial discrimination. In response, Randolph cancelled plans for the march.

By 1963, the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, most of the goals of previous protests still had not been realized.

High levels of black unemployment, work that offered most African Americans only minimal wages and poor job mobility, denial to voting rights, and the persistence of racial segregation in the South caused discussions about a large scale march for political and economic justice as early as 1962.

On behalf of the Negro American Labor Council (NALC), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Randolph wrote a letter on 24 May 1962 to Secretary Stewart Udall of the Department of the Interior regarding permits for a march at the Lincoln Memorial. Plans for the march were interrupted when Udall encouraged the groups to consider the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument due to the complications of traffic and the volume of tourists at the Lincoln Memorial.

In March 1963 Randolph telegraphed King that the NALC had begun planning a June march “for Negro job rights,” and asked for King’s immediate response. In May, at the height of the Birmingham Campaign, King joined Randolph, James Farmer of CORE, and Charles McDew of SNCC in calling for such an action later that year, declaring, “Let the black laboring masses speak!” After notifying President Kennedy of their intent, the leaders of the major civil rights organizations set the march date for 28 August.

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On this special day tons of thousand of Americans gathered in front of the Lincoln memorial in Washington DC to demand social justice and racial equality. Including Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. , who shared his vision for the future of his country, other political and spiritual leaders held speeches. King started to held his speech. ”I have a dream“ with these words he began talking about his dream of Slaveholders and the sons of the old slaves sitting together on one table. Also that his children would live in a nation where there is no judging by the color of their skin but by their character.

He repeats the sentence ”I have a dream“ eight times. His speech should be also four minutes long just like the other speakers before him but his speech ended up being 17 minutes long. King finished his speech with ”... we will be able to speed up that day when all of God‘s children, black men and white men, jews and gentiles, Protestant and catholics will be able to join hands and sing in the the words of the old negro spiritual. Free at least. Free at least. Thank God almighty we are free at least!“

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Excerpt from MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech

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Excerpt from MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech

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The demonstration, taking place on the 57th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, seeks "to restore and recommit to the dream Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. defined" that year. This year's March on Washington -- dubbed the "Get Your Knee Off Our Necks" Commitment March -- will reiterate the demands for police reform, criminal justice reform, and racial equality. At age 23, Lewis was one of the youngest keynote speakers at the 1963 march. Decades later, as a statesman, he spoke on the 50th anniversary of the march in 2013. Because of the situation in 2020 face masks are required to march.

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Two weeks after the March on Washington, America was shocked by events in Birmingham, Alabama.

A bomber threw 15 sticks of dynamite into the church‘s basement.

Four young black girls were killed and 20 people were seriously injured.

The bomber, Robert Chambliss was a member of the KKK. He was not arrested for his crime for 14 years.

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No racial discrimination allowed in public places e.g. hotels, restaurants.

No discrimination in employment.

No segregation in schools, hospitals, etc.

Federal Government had greater powers to deal with state governments who discriminated against Blacks.

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Discrimination in housing.

The right of a fair and free vote to Black people.

The end of the KKK. Blacks still faced fear and violence.

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https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/march-on-washington

https://www.cnn.com/2013/06/13/us/1963-birmingham-church-bombing-fast-facts/index.html

https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/march-washington-jobs-and-freedom

https://youtu.be/vP4iY1TtS3s