March on Washington
Geneva Angus
Summary
Even though African Americans had been freed from slavery, most of them still faced segregation, unfair rights, and intense racism. The March on Washington was one of the largest rallies for human rights in U.S. history and took place I'm Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. An estimated 250,000 people (mostly African American) gathered at the Washington Monument. Various people spoke at the march and multiple singers like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Mahalia Jackson performed at the event. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his worldwide famous speech "I Have a Dream" in which he wrote to end racism.
August 28, 1963
Effects on the Civil Rights Movement
The march and the "I Have a Dream" speech had a huge effect on the civil rights movement. It also convinced congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.