UNITED STATES

50 years ago this week, civil rights leaders engaged in what Martin Luther King, Jr., called “the greatest demonstration of freedom in the history of our nation.” (Washington Post)

You’ve certainly heard the speech King delivered that day—”I Have a Dream.” But did you know that King was not the march’s organizer? That no one did a lot of marching? That not all civil rights leaders even supported the march—one going so far as to call it a “Farce on Washington”?

Use our resources to dismantle some of the myths about the March on Washington.

Discussion Ideas

• Read our “media spotlight” photo gallery on the March on Washington. (Here is the student version of that page, which lacks instructional ideas and connections to standards.) Discuss the ideas presented in the “Questions” tab, focusing on public space and the First Amendment.
• Read the Fast Facts in the media spotlight, which highlight some myths about the March on Washington. Why do students think so many myths remain about the march?
• Look through the Washington Post photo gallery. Why do students think the city of Washington, D.C., took such drastic measures to ensure public safety during the March on Washington?
• According to the Washington Post, the city denied a parade permit to George Lincoln Rockwell, leader of the Anti-Negro Anti-Jew American Nazi Party, on the day of the march. Why do students think he was denied a permit? Do students think the decision to deny him a permit follows the First Amendment? Why or why not? (The text of the First Amendment is available in Question 3 of the media spotlight.)