Posts Tagged 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

By Verónica Bayetti Flores • 10 years ago

Dreamers and Dream Defenders cut out from March on Washington ceremony

Despite being on the program, representatives from both the Dream Defenders and United We Dream were not allowed to speak at yesterday’s “Let Freedom Ring” ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. Both the Dream Defenders, whose actions we’ve covered before, and the undocumented youth movement of which United We Dream is a part are known for direct action tactics (not dissimilar to those undertaken by Dr. King, a recipient of much of the March on Washington honors). Dream Defenders’ Phillip Agnew is calling for people to publish their own speeches on social media:

“This is about more than the speech,” said Agnew. “It’s about the voices of hundreds of thousands of ...

Despite being on the program, representatives from both the Dream Defenders and United We Dream were not allowed to speak at yesterday’s “Let Freedom Ring” ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on ...
By Syreeta McFadden • 10 years ago

Daisy Bates was a boss

Tomorrow marks the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. As Katie noted yesterday, there are quite a few details that are omitted in the retelling of this landmark, cultural, social, political shift of an event to our generation and younger. A significant omission is the erasure of Daisy Bates, the only female organizer who spoke on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. As head of the NAACP in Arkansas, Bates led the effort to desegregate Little Rock’s Central High School in 1957.

Check out this trailer, below, from a feature length documentary on Bates.

The role of African American women in the civil ...

Tomorrow marks the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. As Katie noted yesterday, there are quite a few details that are omitted in the retelling of this landmark, ...