Montgomery March On Washington

On the 28th of August in 1963, in the United States Capital, Washington D.C., the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom or simple the March on Washington, a peaceful march whose purpose was to advocate the civil and economic rights of African-Americans at a time when racism was more common place in society, occurred.

Over 200,000 people of varying race, age, gender, and social status participated in the demonstration organized by A. Phillip Randolf, an African American civil rights activist and elder statesman of the Civil Rights Movement, and fellow activist Bayard Rustin, making it one of the largest rallies for civil rights in the history of the United States.

The march began at the Washington Monument, where the demonstrators then progressed

Johnson, the 36th President of the United States, and Governor Wallace; President Johnson expounded by nationally televising a joint session of Congress to request the introduction of the 1564th Senate Bill or The Voting Rights Act of 1965, while Governor Wallace, instead of cooperating, refused to protect a single protestor and continued to have state authorities arrest any protestors who dared to venture near the Alabama State Capitol Complex.

Despite Wallace’s refusal, President Johnson agreed to protect any and all demonstrators.

Then, on the 21st of March, the third and final Selma to Montgomery march, known simply as the March to Montgomery, began.

That day, about 8,000 people gathered at the Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church, where they would begin their 50.5 mile journey along US Route 80 to the state capital of Montgomery; however, unlike the previous marches, the marchers had the protection of over 2,000 soldiers of the US army, about 1,900 members of the Alabama National Guard under federal order, and numerous FBI agents and Federal Marshals.

By the time the demonstrators had reached their destination on the 25th, the number of demonstrators participating in the march had grown to 25,000-an addition of 17,000 to the initial 8,000 from the first day.

On the steps of the Alabama State Capitol building, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his “How Long, Not Long” speech to the crowd of 25,000

1564 (the Voting Rights Act of 1965), whose passage was hastened and caused the dismantling of the Jim Crow laws, ordinances, and practices that obstructed African American citizens from exercising their 15th Amendment rights, Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King delivered his “How Long, Not Long” Speech on the final day of the March to Montgomery, and brought about the unification of tens of thousands of people of varying age, race, gender, religion, and social economic status over a civil rights issue in the span of 18