“It was not all peachy keen,” Congressman John Lewis told me as he described preparations for the 1963 March on Washington. “It was not all kumbaya.” In 2008, I interviewed John Lewis for a documentary I was producing about my uncle, Whitney Young, Jr, another organizer of the March. I wanted to learn the behind the scenes story from someone who was there.
Like today, it was a chaotic yet pivotal time. In the three years leading up to the March, 900 marchers were tear-gassed and 20,000 people were arrested in protests against segregation. There were 1,000 marches in 100 cities. Over 600 young people, ages 6 through 16, marched in Birmingham, Alabama. Police unleashed fire hoses and threatened children with snarling dogs as horrified Americans watched on television. And on June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers, head of the Mississippi National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, was assassinated in front of his home.
Soon after, President John F. Kennedy proposed a civil rights bill to Congress. He called a meeting with the “Big Six” civil rights leaders: John Lewis of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, A. Philip Randolph of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, James Farmer of the Congress of Racial Equality, Roy Wilkins of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Martin Luther King, Jr. of the Southern Christian Leadership and Whitney Young, Jr of the National Urban League. The group shared their plan for a March on Washington with the President. “You could tell by his body language he didn’t like what he heard, “ said Congressman Lewis, “Won’t there be violence and disorder? You’ll never get a civil rights bill through Congress,” Kennedy said. “The marchers are restless,” explained Randolph. The leaders said it would be better to seize the moment and make sure the March was integrated and peaceful.
But organizing the March was tough. There were internal rivalries between some members of the inner circle. Doubts surfaced about putting Bayard Rustin, Randolph’s deputy, in charge of logistics. Rustin had been a WWII conscientious objector and was rumored to be gay. Dorothy Height, head of the National Council of Negro Women, brought in women and supported the March, but never got the recognition she deserved. Gratefully, such biases are nearly unthinkable today.
And, after decades of violence and disregard, many protesters wondered if integration was possible or even desirable. Some argued that the March should be Black. The young members of CORE and SNCC wanted civil disobedience. But older, more moderate leaders rejected these ideas. As it turned out, the interracial composition of the March widened the tent and brought support from groups like the United Auto Workers and the National Council of Churches as well as people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
To insure the safety of marchers, detailed plans had to be made. It was feared the Klu Klux Klan would create disruption so meetings were held with the FBI to learn about potential threats. White police were deployed to the borders of Virginia and Maryland where white supremacists were more likely to enter. In Washington, DC, Black officers were assigned to the March. Organizers planned for ambulances, restrooms and transportation for stranded participants. Word went out telling people not to bring sandwiches with mayonnaise that could spoil in the hot, August sun.
And then there was John Lewis. The day of the March, organizers still questioned the fiery tone of his speech. Congressman Lewis recalled Young and Randolph saying, “John, we’ve come this far together, let’s keep going.” Lewis kept the essence of his remarks but made adjustments. In the end, the Congressman said, “We spoke with one mighty voice.” On August 28, 1963, over a quarter of a million people peacefully assembled before the Lincoln Memorial and inspired a nation.
The March on Washington is now best known for the stirring speech of Martin Luther King, Jr. But after learning about the March’s many challenges, I think the real victory was that so many people were able to transcend their differences for the sake of the common good. This, too, is the promise of America. A lesson we can use now. Yes, forming a true democracy isn’t always “peachy keen.“ But this anniversary of the March on Washington reminds us of our shared Dream, to never be swayed and get back to work making it happen.