More than 200,000 people took part in a civil rights rally today at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The rally marked a significant moment in the American Civil Rights Movement. From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "I have a dream" speech.
"Of all the speeches at the memorial, the one that drew the strongest applause was made by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference," reported The Troy Record on August 29, 1963. The paper also quoted parts of King's speech. "I still have a dream, a dream deeply rooted in the American dream - one day this nation will rise up and live up to its creed, 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,'" said King.
NOTE: "The March for Jobs and Freedom" was successful in gaining the public's attention, as well as the U.S. government's. After the march, President Kennedy stated that "the cause of 20 million Negroes has been advanced." On August 29, 1963, the Independent reported on the effects of the march. "Kennedy conferred with 10 march leaders at the White House and issued a statement pledging a continued drive for civil-rights legislation, for the removal of job barriers, for better education and full employment." For more information about King and the civil rights movement, visit
Links to the Past
200,000 Demand Racial Equality
The Troy Record, August 29, 1963
Continued: 200,000 Marchers Ask Equal Rights
Equality Advanced, Says JFK
Independent, August 29, 1963
Continued: Order Kept in March on Capital
King's Plea - 'Let Freedom Ring'
Oakland Tribune, August 29, 1963
Hillary Clinton has urged all of her supporters to look beyond her bid for the Democratic nomination and instead focus on the reasons that they followed her during a speech at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night. Clinton also declared herself a Barack Obama supporter and asked for her supporters to unify behind Obama and the Democratic Party. Her speech was considered both necessary to unify the party and extremely well-done, graciously urging her supporters to turn to Obama and reject McCain.
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