The March on Washington was the product of a long and arduous journey. Each moment built upon the previous one, generating momentum and solidarity among civil rights activists. By the time the march occurred in 1963, it stood on the shoulders of decades of activism, struggle, and resilience.
Emmitt Till’s murder, the sit-ins, Freedom Rides, & the March on Washington were distinct elements within the Civil Rights struggle that contributed to the larger goal of eliminating racial violence, challenging segregation, & achieving civil rights reforms. Collectively, they showcased resilience, strategic diversity, & the movement’s ability to leverage various forms of activism to effect change.
The March on Washington did not happen, spontaneously. It grew out of decades of interconnected efforts by myriad civil rights stakeholders. Among these were the founding of the NAACP, the flowering of the movement known as the Harlem Renaissance, and the monumental court case, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka,
60 years ago this week, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, delivered “I Had a Dream” at a seminal event in American history. The idea of a march of thousands of people united in the search for justice, equality, and equal opportunity percolated in the minds of organizers for decades. Years before Black Americans had been thinking and strategizing.