1963 March on Washington:

• 250,000 in attendance at the Lincoln Memorial
• 10 official speakers including Martin Luther King, Jr, who gave iconic “I Have a Dream” speech
• Led to two major legislative changes: Civil Rights Act of 1964 & Voting Rights Act of 1965

We have all heard of Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream speech,” held at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28th, 1963. During a time of intense segregation and division in our country, 250,000 people rode by bus, car and train to March on Washington and hear Dr. King deliver his legendary message. His Dream was inspirational fuel to the millions who would hear it, causing followers to do their part for a better America. More people began to show support and legislation began to change, and so did cultural norms. In ways we may never understand, this historic event transformed the future of America. But how did it happen in the first place?

How could 250,000 people assemble to support a cause when at the time there was no Facebook, group texts or e-vites to get the word out? Surely, Dr. King did not organize such a massive undertaking himself. Of course not. There was a team of heroes in the background whose names will never be known. These volunteers coordinated the event details, marketing, travel and many other key elements to make it a success. Further, there were numerous small factions of groups doing the same thing in their communities, getting the word out, organizing travel and executing the plan. Groups from cities all over America planned for the march on Washington, and like a symphony they all came together for a beautiful result.

You see, Martin Luther King, Jr., like Steve Jobs to Apple, was the face of the dream for equality. He was gifted with eloquently putting the words together and delivering a heartfelt and moving message to millions about the importance of change and equal rights to all man. But there were other many talented people, who without their involvement, the famous event would have never taken place. Here are a few notable team players:

Chief Organizer: A. Philip Randolph. Randolph, who had long been a civil rights and labor rights leader, originally proposed the idea of a mass march on Washington. He became the lead organizer of the event.

Key Strategist: Bayard Rustin. Highly skilled in strategy and organization, Rustin took ownership of much of the logistics supporting the march on Washington. This included transportation, sound, crowd control and many other details.

Other Notable Team Members:

• Roy Wilkins: As head of the NAACP, Roy served as one of the co-organizers for the March and delivered a speech prior to King Jr. which focused on using the courts and legislation to fight racial injustice.
• Whitney M. Young Jr. – As the executive director of the National Urban League, Whitney also helped organize the march and delivered a speech stressing the need for equality. For the march he also engaged with business and government leaders for support.
• James Farmer – As a co-founder of the Congress of Racial Equality, James also helped organize and shape the marches goals. Although he was imprisoned during the march for leading protests, he sent a powerful speech criticizing racial injustice to be read in his absence.
• John Lewis – Lewis was only 23 at the time of the march and, as a member of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), just before King spoke, John gave a bold and passionate speech against racial inequality, violence and the slow pace of action.
• Extended Team: Other extended team members for the march include numerous labor unions, religious groups, civil rights organizations, musical performers, and more

The credits for this march of 250,000 people in Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s unforgettable speech cannot go to him alone. He was one integral part of a colossal team of volunteers who believed in the same thing and used all of their energies to achieve the goal of the march. Without Dr. King, perhaps we would be talking about Whitney M. Young’s speech, or that of John Lewis, certainly not with the same remembrance as that given to King. However, without the thousands of volunteers across the nation who showed their support in any way they could, there would have been no march. King would have had a few hundred there watching instead of a few hundred thousand. All the pieces come together when the team comes together.

For Martin Luther King, Jr. and his team, this dream happened. Two major pieces of legislation were passed: Civil Rights Act of 1964 which banned discrimination based on race, color religion sex or national origin and Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibited racial discrimination in voting. For this reason, more than half a century later, we remember this historic event like it was just yesterday, when certainly most of us were not alive at the time.

Why the March on Washington Succeeded

Leadership: A few prominent leaders took charge and effectively communicated the Why to those who also believed in change.

Culture: A culture of nonviolent activism was created that empowered average Americans to do their part in this large and purposeful change in America. They believed in Martin Luther King, Jr. and they believed that they had a part in the pivotal process of bringing equality to people of color.

Execution: Leaders were assigned the tasks of organizing , lobbying and logistics for the March and all over the world, labor unions, religious groups and civil rights groups showed support of the event. People from all over committed to the cause and being at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. Significant legislation passed as a result of the march’s influence.

SUMMARY

When we think of Martin Luther King, Jr., we naturally think back to the historic day in Washington D.C., where he gave the compelling and legendary speech. And when we think of the 250,000 people that came to see him speak, we easily miss that it was not MLK alone who attracted the audience and built the movement. It was a team, of which MLK was a part. Without his organizers, other speakers, funding and lobbyists, the event would not be in history books. The historic 1963 March on Washington was built by a Winning Team.

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