March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom — 1963 demonstration of the civil rights movement
The 1963 March on Washington drew up to 250,000 people and is credited with helping secure passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Key Facts
- Date
- August 28, 1963
- Estimated attendance
- 250,000 (range: 200,000–300,000)
- Share of Black marchers
- 75–80%
- Principal organizers
- Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph
- Notable speech
- Martin Luther King Jr., "I Have a Dream"
- Venue
- Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
African Americans continued to face legalized racial discrimination and severe economic inequality in the early 1960s. Civil rights and labor leaders Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph organized a broad coalition of civil rights, labor, and religious groups to demand both civil rights and economic justice under the banner of "jobs and freedom."
On August 28, 1963, approximately 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., making it one of the largest political demonstrations in U.S. history. Held at the Lincoln Memorial, the march featured performances by Mahalia Jackson and Marian Anderson, and speeches from movement leaders. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his celebrated "I Have a Dream" speech as the final address of the day.
The march intensified public and congressional pressure for civil rights legislation. It is credited with contributing to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed racial segregation and discrimination. The broader momentum of the movement subsequently led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, further dismantling systemic barriers to Black political participation.