I Have A Dream: Why The 50th Anniversary Of The March On Washington Was Just As Important As The First

The day was August 28, 1963. Countless numbers of people, ranging from all different skin shades from all over the world were headed to Washington, D.C. for one of the most momentous events since America’s founding.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a march in the nation’s capitol to deliver a strong message to the flawed, biased American government. Reciting his famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. King’s message of equality for all resonated from his microphone, through the audience, to the government of the United States and buried itself into the hearts and minds of millions of American people, as well as people around the world.

The individuals that marched with Dr. King on this day were unaware that they would be a part of history, as they were just focused on amending their present. With Jim Crow running rampant in America, especially the south, these people decided to take a stand, along with Dr. King, to make their voices heard to a government that often put them on mute.

Fifty years later on August 24, 2013, minorities are still fighting for this same respect. Many speakers were present for the 50^th anniversary of the March on Washington, including Al Sharpton, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. III, Sybrina Fulton and more. And once again, people from all creeds were there, continuing to fight the battle that Dr. King began all those years ago.

The day was extremely hot, but that didn’t stop people, young and old, from listening to the wise words of the speakers and realizing that even though minorities have it much better off than their predecessors, they still have a long way to go.

After the powerful, passion-filled speeches were conducted, it was finally time to march. The speeches motivated the crowd, and they were ready to march onward towards a brighter future for their children.

When Sybrina Fulton gave her brief speech to the crowd, she reminded everyone why their work is far from complete:

“As I’ve said before, Trayvon Martin was my son. But he’s not just my son, he’s everybody’s son and we have to fight for our children. It is very important that we not forget, that we make sure that we’re mindful of what’s going on with the laws and remember that God is in control.”

The 50th anniversary march was definitely an unforgettable, surreal experience. To be in the same place where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made history all of those years ago, is something that I will always cherish.