March On Washington Essay

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A very well-known method of expressing disagreement within a group that is still used consistently today is marching in protest. This was used for civil rights related reasons on August 28, 1963 when multiple activists organized the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The political rally included upwards of two hundred thousand Americans aiming to raise awareness and promote change within the struggles African Americans faced daily in the country. (History.com Staff 2010, March on Washington) The march was originally carried to victory by leaders of civil rights-based organizations included in The Big Six, which consisted of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), James Farmer, John Lewis, Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, Reverend Martin …show more content…

By using the nonviolent method while still strongly expressing their point of views, it left the government with no other choice but to support, encourage, and listen to those marching, leading to stricter laws and punishments against any hate crimes or segregation, along with actual enforcement of both new and old rulings. When John F. Kennedy spoke his opinion of the march, he made it a point to display his respect to those struggling and also mentioned that he was pleased with the organized, polite, and powerful manner the protesters went about the march with. (Peters and Woolley 2017, 336 - Statement by the President on the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom) However, not everyone was supportive of these large changes, and many wrongly expressed their views by treating those of minority communities in a harsh and violent manner. For example, the night before September 15, 1963, members of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) planted a bomb in the 16th St. Baptist Church which detonated the next morning, killing four girls and injuring 22 others. This hateful and violent group known as KKK was extremely against the Civil Rights Movement and often performed these hate crimes as an attempt to send a message to others

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