All week long, Americans are commemorating the anniversary of one of the most influential speeches in history, a speech that set the stage for sweeping changes in American society—and a speech given by a BU alum.
It was 50 years ago today when 250,000 people converged on the nation’s capital to take part in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Their goal was to push for full civil and economic rights for African Americans. People arrived by bus and by car, by train and by plane, many traveling for days—and at great personal risk—to be part of what would be the largest peaceful demonstration in US history.
Despite fears that the crowd might turn violent (the Pentagon had 19,000 troops on hand in the suburbs, and in anticipation of casualties, area hospitals canceled elective surgeries for the day), the huge throng remained orderly as participants marched from the Washington Monument to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. There they listened as civil rights and religious leaders called for passage of civil rights legislation, an immediate end to school segregation, and the implementation of a $2-an-hour minimum wage.
Today, most of the day’s speeches have been forgotten, but one—the last of the day—affected the course of history.
Martin Luther King, Jr. (GRS’55, Hon.’59), giving his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., August 28, 1963. AP Photo |