Historic March on Washington August 28, 1963.
Fifty years ago this week, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his pivotal “I Have a Dream” speech in front of a crowd of over 250,000 civil rights supporters during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on Aug. 28, 1963. It was one of the largest human rights political rallies in the country and was instrumental in advancing civil and political rights for decades to come.
This Wednesday, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the march, neighborhood organizer Algernong Allen will hold an audio playing of Dr. King’s famous speech in Cedar Park on 49th Street and Baltimore Avenue at 6:30 p.m. The event, titled “March on West Philly,” is free and open to the public.
While no formal discussion is planned for after the event, Allen encourages community residents to stay and discuss both the speech and strategies for advancing civil rights.
“I wanted to celebrate the beauty of the original March on Washington, and felt that others would like to be able to do the same in some way,” Allen wrote in an e-mail to West Philly Local. “I want people to walk away more connected, more neighborly to those neighbors who look different, and reminded that there is still work to do.”
Some progress has been made in the five decades since that historic march, but civil rights are still under threat from Voter ID laws introduced and passed through state governments, the disproportionate number of people of color incarcerated, disparity in wages between genders and races and law enforcement profiling. So Allen hopes that the event can also mobilize West Philly residents to work together “to cultivate and extend the borders of a good quality of life”—to continue the fight for Dr. King’s dream.
“To those on the front lines of the civil rights movement, we owe a debt. A debt which we repay by our continued diligence in creating a world for our children in which our society, marches toward the highest aspects of our humanity,” Allen said. “Dr. King’s speech symbolizes and articulates that. This is how we can say thank you, and rebroadcast the message of the movement that inspired the man.”
–Annamarya Scaccia
August 27th, 2013 at 3:34 pm
In June of 1980 at the opening of the West Phila. Community Federal Credit Union, I delivered a speech inspired by Rev. M.L. King that I feel impacted our community with his spirit. I will bring copies. I am also working on a film about how the community took over a red-lining Saving & Loan and tranfer the assets into WP Community FCU that merged into the Philadelphia Federal Credit Union, if you want to be part of the crew let me know. Thanks for this chance to share history.
August 28th, 2013 at 12:13 pm
Rain Or Shine. If the rain continues in such a vigorous manner, we will move the march on West Philly indoors. The Cedar Works at 49th and Pentridge has graciously offered the use of their space. Really great people.