In honor of the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington, we're sharing rare color photos from our archives of this era-defining event. MarchOnWashington2020
Martin Luther King Jr. addressed the crowd during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.View Gallery
Martin Luther King Jr. addressed the crowd during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.So many scenes from the August 28, 1963, March on Washington are now familiar to so many of us and the cadence of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is so much a part of the national consciousness it’s easy forget that for the hundreds of thousands of people who marched and rallied that day, the event was wholly, thrillingly new.
There had been, of course, other civil rights protests, marches and demonstrations. But none had been so large and none garnered so much attention before, during and, especially, after the event itself. The landmark 1957 Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom, for example, which also took place in the nation’s capital, had shown everyone—segregationists and civil rights proponents—that large, peaceable rallies in the heart of Washington were not only possible, but wereif the movement was going to achieve its central, early goals of desegregation and voting rights reform.
Here LIFE.com presents a selection of pictures most of which never ran in LIFE magazine commemorating that day. What is especially moving about so many of these pictures is that they illustrate the scene as witnessed not by those who led and organized the event, but by those in the crowd. There is huge emotion here, and excitement and the photos evince a palpable sense of inclusion. One is left with a feeling that power was, if only for a moment, passing to the people.Martin Luther King Jr.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Everything You Need to Know About the 2020 March on WashingtonHow to register, what to bring, and how to get there, right this way.
Read more »
How To Help Fund Protestors During The 2020 March On Washington For Civil RightsHow to help fund protestors attendance at Al Sharpton's 'Get Your Knee Off Our Necks' March on Washington this week.
Read more »
Everything You Need to Know About the 2020 March on WashingtonHow to register, what to bring, and how to get there, right this way.
Read more »
Live updates: Jacob Blake shooting and the March on WashingtonWatch live: The families of Jacob Blake, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor will speak and be joined by a crowd of thousands on the anniversary of the March on Washington
Read more »
Activists gather for another March on Washington, 57 years later'Dad would be very proud that people are coming together to stand up against injustice. But certainly very sad that we're still attempting to get justice,' Martin Luther King III says 57 years after his father spoke the words 'I have a dream.'
Read more »