I Have A Dream Speech: The March On Washington

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On August 28th, 1963, many Americans came together in a spectacular act of civil disobedience, known as the March on Washington. More than 250,000 black and white Americans marched in Washington D.C. that day. Many influential people participated in the march, addressing the people, performing poems and music. The march’s incredible success was due to the inspirational people who took part, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, as well as A. Philip Randolph, who was instrumental in the organization of the march, and the harmony of people who were gathered there on that day.

Asa Philip Randolph was the president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, which was a labor union organized by African …show more content…

He was known for his acts of peaceful protest and civil disobedience. However, King is best known for the speech he gave at the March on Washington. His “I Have a Dream” speech inspired and uplifted many people across the nation. Dr. King’s words stirred the masses, “...we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "when will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs reading "For Whites Only." We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No. No, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” (Narins), telling them not to be satisfied with what little they have been given, and to reach for more, for the true equality they deserve. The March on Washington, as well as Dr. King’s powerful speech contributed to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This act made racial discrimination illegal in restaurants and hotels, allowed equal access to public facilities (parks, pools, etc.) The act also went over voting rights and the process of desegregation in schools and discrimination based on race in areas of

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