King Had His Dream; We Must Have a Plan

Fifty-nine years ago, some quarter of a million Americans from across the nation gathered on the Mall in Washington, D.C. and demanded social equality, economic equity, and voting rights for all. It was called the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and it was the largest such gathering that had ever been staged up until that time. Participants were young, old, and in-between; they were blue- and white-collar workers and business people and professionals of all races, nationalities, ethnic groups and religions. Speakers included heads of organized labor, Civil Rights advocates, faith leaders, world famous politicians and celebrities, and representatives of groups unknown outside of their own communities.

The National Guard was called out because authorities believed that violence was inevitable with such a large and diverse crowd. They were wrong. Guard members had nothing to do than to listen to the speeches, like everyone else.

Photo by U.S. Information Agency. Press and Publications Service. ca. 1953-ca. 1978, National Archives Catalog / Public Domain

Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C., August 28, 1963. A wide-angle view of marchers along the mall, showing the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument.

I attended the March as a voter rights organizer in the Deep South. Like other Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) workers, I had been skeptical about holding the Washington gathering in the first place, thinking that it would be a distraction from important work happening on the ground. But as it turned out, the March gave me new faith in America. I thought that those of us working for equal rights were a marginalized fringe group. But when I saw how huge the crowd on the Mall was, I began to believe that dedication to equality had become mainstream.

People think of the event as Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” march, but what was important that day wasn’t any particular speech but the fact that for the first time so many people, from such a broad range of our society stood together and demanded that America live up to its promise.

The March helped build nationwide support for the difficult and dangerous work of organizing against racism that was taking place across America, especially in the South. It helped create the soil from which grew the mighty oaks of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and many other progressive laws and policies.

Equal rights under attack, again

Photo by Simone Fischer / Unsplash License

Today we must re-invigorate that soil and protect those trees from being cut down. Racist violence is worse than ever, perpetuated by the police in our streets and white nationalist terrorists in our churches, synagogues, and mosques. People of color are being robbed of their voice and their right to vote. As a result, instead of being closer to a nation that values economic equity, the gap between the superrich and most of us has become a yawning chasm. Our public schools are underfunded; our health care system is a disgrace, and untold numbers of women – disproportionately women of color – will soon be required to surrender to rich white guys their right to complete control over their own bodies.

One thing is clear: to remain on the road toward equality and equity for all, those of us who believe in freedom must re-double our efforts, enhance the effectiveness of our work, and better coordinate with each other across the nation. Martin Luther King had a dream. To push back against the growing plague of racism today and to win victories for humanity in the future, we must have a plan.

That’s why I’m looking forward to Ending Racism’s August 28^th zoom conference. We will share our work, share ideas, and map out strategies. It’s trite but true: we’re better together.