Bill Fletcher, Jr.

Articles

On the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, It's Time For Real Action on Freedom and Jobs

The 50th anniversary of the March on Washington deserves more than a simplistic rehash of Dr. King's historic 'I Have a Dream' speech.

August 28 will mark the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Publicly associated with Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous "I Have a Dream" speech, this march brought more than 250,000 people to the nation’s capital. The day went down in history as a powerful show of force against Jim Crow segregation. Over time, this great event has risen to levels of near mythology. The powerful speech by Dr. King, replayed, in part, for us every January on Martin Luther King Day, has eclipsed all else—so much so that too many people believe that the March on Washington was entirely the work of Dr. King. It is also barely remembered that the March on Washington was for freedom and jobs.

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