Why We March JOBS!! 1. The unemployment rate for African American males was 11% while 5% for whites 2. Blacks’ average earnings were $3,500 per year while whites earned an average of $6,500 a year

1. stronger Civil Rights Act 2. decent housing 3. fair Employment Act 3. fair Employment Act 4. unimpeded voting rights 4. unimpeded voting rights 5. end discrimination …and Freedom!

A. Philip Randolph organized the first march in 1941, Leader of the BIG SIX and president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union…focused on jobs James Farmer: CORE organized 1961 Freedom Rides…focused on freedom. Whitney Young, Jr: National Urban League, NUL wanted end to black unemployment. The Big Six…

Dr. King: head of SCLC focused on brotherhood John Lewis: head of SNCC wanted equality Roy Wilkins: head of NAACP…wanted justice

June 22, 1963: Kennedy met with the Big Six and asked them not to hold the march for fear it would sabotage his bill June 11, 1963: President John F. Kennedy announced a new civil rights bill focusing on voting rights & desegregation.

Organizers argued that the march will pressure Congress to adopt the bill. The march goes on as planned.

Crowds march to the Lincoln Memorial People came from all over… 2000 buses, 21 trains & 10 planes. CORE's Brooklyn chapter walked 230 miles to the march. 250,000 marchers arrived Marchers walked down Constitution and Independence Avenues from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial

“I Have a Dream” I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.” And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

The international and national press descended on Washington. More than 2000 press passes were issued, an unheard of number in the history of news reporting. The march was a worldwide SUCCESS.

“It was the greatest assembly for a redress of grievances that this capital has ever seen.” NY Times August 29, 1963 “There was no violence to mar the demonstration… at times there was an air of hootenanny about it as groups of schoolchildren clapped hands and swung into the familiar freedom songs. The three major television networks spent over $300,000 (more than twice the march committee's budget) to broadcast the event. CBS covered the rally "gavel to gavel," from 1:30 to 4:30, canceling popular shows.

Long-term Results 1.July 2, 1964 – Civil Rights Act Prohibited all forms discrimination based on race, color, religion, or origin Allowed government to enforce desegregation 1.July 2, 1964 – Civil Rights Act Prohibited all forms discrimination based on race, color, religion, or origin Allowed government to enforce desegregation 2.August 10, 1965 – Voting Rights Act Literacy tests, poll taxes, grandfather clauses were made illegal. 2.August 10, 1965 – Voting Rights Act Literacy tests, poll taxes, grandfather clauses were made illegal. 3.April 11, Civil Rights Act Prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing 3.April 11, Civil Rights Act Prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing Civil Rights Act Prohibited discrimination within private institutions Civil Rights Act Prohibited discrimination within private institutions Civil Rights Act To amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act; to strengthen and improve Federal civil rights laws, to provide for damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination, to clarify provisions regarding disparate impact actions, and for other purposes Civil Rights Act To amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act; to strengthen and improve Federal civil rights laws, to provide for damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination, to clarify provisions regarding disparate impact actions, and for other purposes.