On August 28, 1963, an estimated 250,000 people participated in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. During the march, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, delivered his now famous “I have a dream” speech, a speech that 50 years later continues to be one of the most famous speeches in American History. On the 50th anniversary of the March, ProQuest staff is looking back at the 1963 March via ProQuest History Vault

2. Researching the 1963 March on Washington
with ProQuest History Vault

3. March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
3
On August 28, 1963, an estimated
250,000 people participated in the
March on Washington for Jobs and
Freedom. During the march, from the
steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., President of the Southern
Christian Leadership
Conference, delivered his now famous
“I have a dream” speech, a speech that
50 years later continues to be one of
the most famous speeches in American
History.
On the 50th anniversary of the
March, ProQuest staff is looking back
at the 1963 March via ProQuest History
Vault.
Source: NAACP Papers in ProQuest History Vault

4. 4
Researchers interested in
the 1963 March on
Washington can study the
March using the collections
in ProQuest History Vault.
Several collections include
extensive documentation
on the March, including
the Bayard Rustin
Papers, A. Philip Randolph
Papers, NAACP
Papers, Records of the
Southern Christian
Leadership
Conference, and the Martin
Luther King Jr. FBI File.
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963

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In recent years, Bayard Rustin has gained increasing recognition for his pivotal role
as the organizer of the March.
ProQuest History Vault includes the Bayard Rustin Papers. Within the Rustin
Papers, a large file on the March on Washington contains extensive detail on the
March, including the preparations for the March, the political issues surrounding the
March, and the aftermath of the March.
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963

6. 6
Initial preparations for the March. Letter from A. Philip Randolph, longtime leader
of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and director of the 1963 March.
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
Source: Bayard Rustin Papers in ProQuest
History Vault

7. 7
Continuing to prepare for the March as the March date approaches
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
Source: Bayard Rustin Papers in ProQuest
History Vault

8. 8
The Washington, D.C. Police Department prepares for the March
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
Source: NAACP Papers in ProQuest History Vault

9. 9
Pages from March on Washington Organizing Manual
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
Source: Bayard Rustin Papers in ProQuest
History Vault

10. 10
Support for the March from Americans in the U.S. and around the World
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
Source: Papers of A. Philip Randolph in ProQuest
History Vault

11. 11
The Day of the March
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
Source: Bayard Rustin Papers in ProQuest
History Vault

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August 28, 1963 – Speeches at the March on Washington. Before Martin Luther
King gave his “I have a dream” speech, several other civil rights leaders addressed
the Marchers. Two of the speakers were Roy Wilkins of the NAACP and John Lewis
of SNCC. Following the March, the NAACP published a pamphlet reprinting the text
of their remarks. The first page of their speeches is shown below:
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
Source: NAACP Papers in ProQuest History Vault

13. 13
August 28, 1963 – Speeches at the March on Washington. A. Philip
Randolph, Director of the March, and Whitney Young, of the National Urban
League, also addressed the marchers from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The
first page of their speeches is shown below:
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
Source: NAACP Papers in ProQuest History Vault

14. 14
The Associated Negro Press (ANP) covered the March on Washington in substantial
detail. Here are two pages from its post-march coverage. On the left, in a September
2 article, the ANP reported on international reaction to the March. That same day, the
ANP also reported on last minute changes to John Lewis’s speech.
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
Source: Claude A. Barnett Papers: Associated
Negro Press Papers in ProQuest History Vault

15. 15
After the March: Congratulatory Messages
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
Source: NAACP Papers in ProQuest History Vault

16. 16
After the March: World Reaction to the March as reported
by the U.S. Information Agency
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
Source: Records of the U.S. Information Agency in
ProQuest History Vault

17. 17
After the March: Coverage of the March in the Newsletter of the National Association of
Colored Women’s Clubs
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
Source: Records of the National Association of
Colored Women’s Clubs in ProQuest History Vault

18. 18
After the March: The 10th Anniversary: August 28, 1973
News release from the A. Philip Randolph Institute by Bayard Rustin
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
Source: Bayard Rustin Papers in
ProQuest History Vault

19. 19
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
After the March: The 20th Anniversary
Source: Bayard Rustin Papers in ProQuest
History Vault

20. 20
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963
ProQuest History Vault Collections Cited in this Presentation:
• Bayard Rustin Papers
• Claude A. Barnett Papers: Associated Negro Press
• NAACP Papers
• Papers of A. Philip Randolph
• Records of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs
• Records of the U.S. Information Agency, Cold War Era Research Reports
Additional ProQuest History Vault Collections that include documentation on the
March on Washington:
• Civil Rights during the Johnson Administration
• Civil Rights during the Kennedy Administration
• Martin Luther King Jr. FBI File
• President John F. Kennedy’s Office Files
• Records of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
For more information about ProQuest History Vault, please visit:
http://www.proquest.com/en-US/catalogs/databases/detail/historyvault.shtml
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