The March on Washington: A Day, a Demand, and a Speech
On August 28, 1963, a crowd filled the space between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. People had traveled from across the United States by bus, train, car, and plane. They came to demand more than a place in a crowd: they wanted the federal government to act against racial discrimination and economic inequality.
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom drew about 250,000 people. Its best-known moment came when the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Yet the march was not built around one speaker alone. It brought together years of organizing, a coalition of groups, and a set of demands that connected civil rights with economic opportunity.
Why march in 1963?
In many parts of the country, Black Americans faced barriers to voting, education, housing, and employment. In the South, laws enforced segregation, separating Black and white people in many public places. Even where segregation was not required by law, discrimination could shape who got a job, where a family could live, and which schools children attended.
- discrimination:
- Unfair treatment of people based on a characteristic such as race.
- inequality:
- An unfair difference in people's rights, opportunities, or resources.
- coalition:
- A group of people or organizations working together toward shared goals.
- legislation:
- Laws or proposed laws considered by a governing body.
- boycotts:
- Protests in which people refuse to buy from or use something.
- priorities:
- Things considered most important and given attention first.
- demonstration:
- A public gathering where people express a shared view or demand.
- prejudice:
- An unfair opinion about people formed without knowing them as individuals.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why did organizers connect civil rights with economic opportunity?
- 2How did the 1941 campaign help shape the 1963 march?
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About this explanatory article passage for Middle School
“The March on Washington: A Day, a Demand, and a Speech” is a explanatory article reading passage about The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, written for Middle School. It takes about 6 minutes to read (962 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.