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Examining the 1963 March on Washington
for Jobs and Freedom through Primary Sources
By Susan Pitts Santoli and Paige Vitulli
“I think history was written today which will have an effect on coming generations...”
-
A. Phillip Randolph
On August 29, 1963, 100 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, more than 200,000 Americans—60,000
of them white1—came together in Washington, DC, to demand civil and economic rights for African Americans. They had
come from across the country, by bus, train, and car, to join together in the largest civil rights demonstration that had ever
occurred in this country2 and that had ever been broadcast to millions more through international media coverage.3,4
Violence was expected and planned for by city and government officials, but none occurred. Demonstrators assembled
peacefully at the Washington Monument and marched singing to the Lincoln Memorial. There, they listened to “speeches,
songs, and prayer.”5 The public day ended with a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that is considered one of the most
influential speeches ever given.
There was more racial violence and struggle to come, but the March on Washington was a seminal moment in the history of the
struggle for civil rights. It “had an obvious impact, both on the passage of civil rights legislation [the Civil Rights Act of 1964
and Voting Rights Act of 1965] and on nationwide public opinion. It proved the power of mass appeal and inspired imitators in
the antiwar, feminist, and environmental movements.”6
Even with seminal events in our nation’s history, such as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, textbooks often
offer cursory and one-dimensional coverage. In an examination of three high school U.S. history textbooks, the March on
Washington is summarized in fewer than 300 words in one7 and in fewer than 100 words in the other two.8 Textbooks are the
main student resource used in many classrooms and by their very nature offer limited information.
It is no wonder that our students often are not engaged in social studies when they are asked to read facts about, not invest
themselves in, people and events that greatly impact their lives today. What if teachers and students went beyond their
textbooks and engaged in the multisensory experience that was the March on Washington?
Primary sources allow teachers and students “to get as close as possible to what happened.”9 They offer students the
opportunity to actively construct knowledge and to engage in higher-order thinking.10 To develop “historical understanding”
in our students, teachers must access multiple and diverse sources.11 Aiding students in developing literacies in genres
beyond text enables them to obtain more meaning about the world both past and present.
“Visual evidence such as photographs, artwork and advertisements, can tap into alternative forms of prior knowledge and
increase access to history for students who do not respond well to written text.”12 The use of popular music is a “powerful
teaching tool because it appeals to the mind, the body and the emotions . . . [and] is a primary means by which people
express their innermost feelings, hopes, values, and experiences.”13 Art integration has been shown not only to improve
relevancy,14 student understanding,15 and student engagement,16 but also to increase student achievement.17 Just as students
need to comprehend written text, they also must be capable of comprehending other forms of communication. “A society
that would be democratic and free requires a public capable of deciphering and criticizing non-verbal messages.”18
Teacher Resources:
1. Columbia University. “The March on Washington and the Civil Rights Act.” Amistad Digital Resource. http://www.
amistadresource.org/civil_rights_era/march_and_civil_rights_act.html.
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2. Euchner, Charles. Nobody Turn Me Around: A People’s
History of the 1963 March on Washington. Boston, MA: Beacon
Press, 2010.
3. Jewish Women’s Archive. “Living the Legacy.” http://jwa.
org/teach/livingthelegacy/civilrights/march-on-washington-forjobs-and-freedom.
4. Library of Congress American Folklife Center. “The Civil
Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories.”
http://www.loc.gov/folklife/civilrights/survey/subject.
php?subject_id=1824.
5. National Humanities Center Online Library. “The Making
of African American Identity.” http://www.nhc.trp.nc.us/pds/
africanamer/africanamer.htm.
6. National Park Service. “Historic Places of the Civil Rights
Movement: We Shall Overcome.” http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/
civilrights/index.htm.
7. Smithsonian American Art Museum. “Oh Freedom!” http://
africanamericanart.si.edu.
8. The King Center. http://www.thekingcenter.org/
9. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education
Institute at Stanford. http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/.
10. U.S. Department of Transportation. “The Road to Civil
Rights: Getting to the March on Washington, August 28, 1963.”
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwayhistory/road/s33.cfm.
Notes:
1. “The March on Washington,” http://www.angelfire.com/pa/
marchonwashington/march.html, para. 1.
2. Chris Nammour, “The March on Washington for Jobs and
Freedom,” Online News Hour, August 27, 2003.
3. Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), “March on
Washington: The World Hears of Dr. King’s Dream,” http://
www.core-online.org/History/washington_march.htm.
4. Shmuel Ross, “Civil Rights March on Washington,” http://
www.factmonster.com/spot/marchonwashington.html.
5. CORE, “March on Washington,” para. 2.
6. Ibid.
7. “Chapter 29: The Civil Rights Era, 1954-1973,” in The
American Journey, ed. Joyce Appleby, Alan Brinkley, and James
M. McPherson (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005), 851.
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8. “Chapter 20: Search for Equal Rights,” in Call to Freedom,
1865-Present, eds. Sterling Stuckey and Linda Kerriga Salvucci
(Austin, TX: 2002), 598; “Chapter 41: The Stormy Sixties,
1960-1968,” in The American Pageant, eds. Thomas Bailey,
David M. Kennedy, and Lizabe Cohen (Boston: Houghton
Mifflin Company, 1998), 944.
9. Lauren Schmidt, Social Studies That Sticks: How to Bring
Content and Concepts to Life (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann,
2007), 44.
10. Christine Woyshne. “Inquiry Teaching with Primary Source
Documents: An Iterative Approach,” Social Studies Research
and Practice 5, no. 3 (2010), pp.36-45.
11. Keith C. Barton, “Primary Sources in History: Breaking
Through the Myths,” Phi Delta Kappan 86, no. 10 (2005): 746.
12. Ibid., 751.
13. James Moore, “Popular Music Helps Students Focus on
Important Social Skills,” Middle School Journal 38, no. 4
(2007): 23.
14. Blythe F. Hinitz and Aline M. Stomfay-Stitz, “Peace
Education in the Early Childhood/Elementary Education
Classroom: Setting the Agenda for a Humane World” (paper
presented at the annual conference of the National Council for
the Social Studies, Anaheim, California, November 21, 1998),
3-10.
15. Joyce H. Burstein and Greg Knotts, “Creating Connections:
Integrating the Visual Arts with Social Studies,” Social Studies
and the Young Learner 23, no. 1 (2010): 20-23.
16. Schmidt, Social Studies That Sticks, 107-127.
17. President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, ,”
inReinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future
Through Creative Schools (Washington, DC: U.S. Government
Printing Office, 2011), 1-33.
18. Majorie C. Manifold, “Art Education in the Social Studies,”
http://www.eric.ed.gov/, p. 2.
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Susan Pitts Santoli is an associate professor in the
Department of Leadership and Teacher Education at the
University of South Alabama, located in Mobile, Alabama.
Her research interests include social studies education,
pre-service teacher education, and art and social studies
integration. Email: [email protected].
Paige Vitulli is an assistant professor in the Department
of Leadership and Teacher Education at the University of
South Alabama, located in Mobile, Alabama. Her research
interests include art education and integration, creativity, and
technology integration. Email: [email protected].
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Lesson Plan
Examining the 1963 March on Washington for
Jobs and Freedom through Primary Sources
by Susan Pitts Santoli and Paige Vitulli
Connections to Middle School and High School
The Civil Rights Movement is an integral part of the study of U.S. History in either middle or high school. The 1963 March
on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was a pivotal event in that movement. The activities presented here are appropriate
for teaching at various grade levels and addressing a variety of learning styles and skill levels. In these activities, students
examine the March through a variety of sources and will be offered a more comprehensive and personal view of the March
than is often presented in textbooks. Additionally, students will be asked to actively create knowledge, rather than be passive
recipients, as they engage in the analysis of diverse sources.
Goal: The activities described are intended to provide opportunities for a deeper understanding of the 1963 March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom as students examine the March through the analysis of music, photographs, and primary
documents.
Objectives: Students will analyze and interpret various sources to draw conclusions about the 1963 March on Washington
for Jobs and Freedom.
Students will create a product that expresses their perspectives on a particular aspect of the March.
National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Standards: U.S. History Teacher Expectations
● Enable learners to develop historical comprehension in order that they might reconstruct the literal meaning of a
historical passage, identify the central question(s) addressed in historical narrative, draw upon data in historical
maps, charts, and other graphic organizers; and draw upon visual, literary, or musical sources
● Guide learners in practicing skills of historical analysis and interpretation, such as compare and contrast, differentiate
between historical facts and interpretations, consider multiple perspectives, analyze cause and effect relationships,
compare competing historical narratives, recognize the tentative nature of historical interpretations and hypothesize
the influence of the past
Activities:
All activities assume that students have information and prior knowledge on the Civil Rights Movement up to this time.
Providing an Overview of the March
A great way to give students an overview of the March is through a video. Here are two options:
1. A short YouTube video gives an overview of the entire day: “Nobody Turn Me Around: A People’s History of the
1963 March on Washington” (4 minutes 20 seconds)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=LDpZtxMcFwc&feature=endscreen
2. The National Archives has an excellent video, in three segments, on the National Archives YouTube Channel. You
have to register, but the site is free of charge. Each segment is approximately 10 minutes long. http://www.youtube.com/
user/usnationalarchives#p/c/D8E050A3A9576A28/2/jidABYf_nLU
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Music of the March
Background information: Valuable background on music in the Civil Rights Movement for teachers to read before
listening to and discussing the music below is located on the Eyes on the Prize website at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/
eyesontheprize/reflect/r03_music.html.
Three Civil Rights/Freedom Songs for analysis:
1. “We Shall Overcome”
2. “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around”
3. “People Get Ready”
Note: The lyrics and video sites were found through the use of a search engine. Should any of the links below be inactive, you
can type the song/artist into a search and find active links. There are many links for each of the songs.
1. “We Shall Overcome”
Background information: Often called the anthem of the Civil Rights Movement, “We Shall Overcome” was heard throughout
the day of the March. In the following video, you’ll hear Joan Baez sing this song as she sang it during the day of the March.
Baez was a popular folk singer of the 1960s whose songs often reflected human rights or civil rights concerns. She was an
outspoken critic of the Vietnam War. She still performs today.
“We Shall Overcome” audio with Joan Baez - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G30__V5-q0&feature=related
“We Shall Overcome” lyrics - http://www.metrolyrics.com/we-shall-overcome-lyrics-joan-baez.html
● As you listen to and/or read the lyrics of this song, what goals to be achieved are reflected here?
● What does the verb “shall” indicate?
● One of the verses uses the verb “are” rather than “shall.” What is the statement made with this verb?
● To what might the word “today” refer? Would it mean just the March itself?
2. “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around”
Background information: This song was based on an African American spiritual that was sung during the 1800s. As with
“We Shall Overcome,” verses could be added and words modified as necessary.
“Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around” audio and lyrics - http://www.gospelsonglyrics.org/songs/aint_gonna_let_
nobody_turn_me_around.html
● Why would African American music used in the 1800s be revived for use during the Civil Rights Movement?
● Why does the singer insist that nobody will turn him/her around? From what has she/he turned?
● What does “freedom land” represent?
● What words or phrases let you know that contemporary events have been added to this gospel song that weren’t
there in the 1800s?
● What is the “injunction” in stanza two of the written lyrics?
3. “People Get Ready”
Background information: This song was not sung at the March on Washington because it was not written until the year
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after. This song, written by Curtis Mayfield, was inspired by the March on Washington. It has many of the characteristics of
traditional gospel songs.
“People Get Ready” audio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTL9myUqLMs
“People Get Ready” lyrics - http://www.lyrics007.com/Eva%20Cassidy%20Lyrics/People%20Get%20Ready%20Lyrics.html
● What changes was the singer anticipating?
● What might the train symbolize?
● How does this song capture the spirit of the March on Washington?
Other Music Analysis Ideas:
● The Library of Congress song analysis sheet is a tremendous way for students to analyze songs. The analysis sheet
can be distributed before playing or reading a song so that students will be listening for specific aspects. It can also
be used effectively in groups by assigning one category to each group. http://www.loc.gov/teachers/lyrical/tools/
docs/songs.pdf
● One characteristic of many songs of the Civil Rights Movement was that verses could be added as needed because
the songs were often sung while people walked or marched. Can you add another verse to this song that reflects the
Civil Rights Movement or that reflects a human rights goal of today?
● What reactions might songs have created among those attending an event?
● What mental image(s) come to mind as you hear the song? Create a visual representation that represents this song.
● What are some things that you learned from the songs that you might not have learned from reading about the March?
Primary Documents from the March
Background information: This website provides some background on the planning for the March.
http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_march_on_washington_for_jobs_and_freedom/
Three documents for analysis:
1. Flyer advertising the March on Washington
2. Program of the March on Washington
3. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech
1. Flyer advertising the March on Washington - http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/primarydocuments/630800-009.pdf
● How did organizers appeal to both African Americans and Whites?
● What were the five objectives of the March as stated by the organizer?
● Six men’s names appear at the top of the appeal. Who were these men and what was their connection with the Civil
Rights Movement?
● What provides evidence that this was an organized event?
● Was this document written to inform, to persuade, or both? Why do you think this?
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2. Program for the March on Washington - http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=96#
● Where did the day’s program take place? What was significant/symbolic about this location?
● The flyer advertising the March lists six names as the organizers of the March. Do you see any of their names on the
program? (Use if students have access to the flyer image from the previous activity.)
● Some of the people on the program represented various political, social, and religious groups. What are some of the
groups that were represented and why might these groups have been involved in the March?
● There are several women named in the Tribute to Negro Women Fighters for Freedom (#5). Which names do you
recognize? If students do not recognize all of the names, this provides an opportunity for research or for teachers to
provide information on these women. Why might women be especially recognized?
3. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech
Audio and transcript - http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm
Digitized version of an earlier version of the speech titled “Normalcy-Never Again”
http://www.thekingcenter.org/archive/document/draft-i-have-dream
Although we commonly refer to King’s speech as the “I Have a Dream” speech, it was originally titled “Normalcy-NeverAgain.”An
early draft of the speech, with this title, is filed in the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection (http://www.morehouse.
edu/kingcollection/index.php) and a digital version is available through the King Center (http://www.thekingcenter.org/archive/
document/draft-i-have-dream). A firsthand account of the writing of the speech and the delivery of the speech can be found in
an article on the Washington Post site, written by Clarence B. Jones, for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemoration in 2011
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/14/AR2011011406266.html). This account will be very
helpful to both students and teachers. National Public Radio published several articles to commemorate the 40th anniversary
of the March. In these articles, the politics behind the scenes is explained—why King was last on the program, how he was
originally given four minutes to deliver it, and other information about planning the March and the program (http://www.
npr.org/news/specials/march40th/part1.html).
General Document Analysis Ideas:
A document analysis sheet from the National Archives and Records Administration that can be used with any document:
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/written_document_analysis_worksheet.pdf
Analysis of the “I Have a Dream” speech:
● What situations are identified with specific states?
● In paragraph three, King refers to a “check.” What does the term symbolize?
● What are reasons that King suggests that Washington, DC, is an appropriate place for this event?
● What references to songs are in this speech?
● Why is King’s speech directed to all Americans?
● In paragraph two, King refers to a “symbolic shadow.” What historical person was the source of this shadow?
● In paragraph three, King says, “The Negro still is not free.” Since slavery had been outlawed in the 1800s, what
did he mean by that statement?
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● Although we often call this speech “I Have a Dream,” those words were not in the original draft. King constructed
this part of the speech as he went along. What might have inspired him to add to his original words in this way?
Either before or after the analysis of “I Have a Dream,” teachers may also have students read the earlier draft titled
“Normalcy-Never Again” or portions of that draft and compare it to the final version that was delivered. The website for the
digital version of this speech is listed above.
Photographs from the March
General Photograph Analysis Resource: There is a photograph analysis sheet from the National Archives and Records
Administration that can be used for any photograph. http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/photo_
analysis_worksheet.pdf
Note: The photographs were found through the use of a search engine for images. Should any of the links below be inactive,
type “Photographs from the March on Washington 1963” and find active links and many more photographs. The photographs
used below are generally described so that you might find like photographs, should you need to.
Three photographs for analysis:
1. Overhead view of the crowd
2. Marchers with signs
3. Statue of Lincoln and crowd
1. Overhead view of the crowd - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:View_of_Crowd_at_1963_March_on_Washington.jpg
● What might it have felt like to be part of such a large crowd?
● Do you think this was a photograph that was framed (planned)? Why?
● Where do you think the photographer positioned himself to take this picture?
● How does the viewpoint emphasize the drama of the picture?
● How might the publication of this photograph be an asset to the Civil Rights Movement?
● What would be a good title for this photograph?
2. Marchers with signs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dr-martin-luther-ki/2011/08/25/gIQABaYsrP_photo.html
● For what are the people asking, as shown on their signs?
● How do their demands compare with the goals of the March on the flyer for the March (Activity 3-1)?
● Do you think that the marchers made their own signs for this march? Why or why not?
● Describe those who are participating—what races do you see? What ages do you see? How are the participants dressed?
● How does the viewpoint emphasize the power of the scene?
● What question would you like to ask one of the marchers?
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● What would be a good title for this photograph?
3. Statue of Lincoln and crowd - http://karcon.tumblr.com/post/342931945/savingpaper-a-view-of-the-1963-march-on
● Why does the photographer give the statue of Lincoln a prominent place in this photograph?
● What does the viewpoint seem to suggest?
● What would be a good title for this photograph?
● What question would you like to ask Lincoln about what he is “seeing”?
Lesson Assessments, Extensions and Culminating Activities
● “I Have a Dream” Quilt: Provide square pieces of paper to all students, which can be used as quilt blocks. Ask them
to write a dream for themselves on the block and illustrate it. Have a center block reading, “I Have a Dream that...”
and then put the student blocks around it. These can be used as a class display.
● Others who dream: Ask the students to identify others who have had dreams. Distribute pieces of paper to all
students that have “I Have a Dream” written on them, then ask the students to find a picture/image of a person who
has had a dream, and to write a few words about the person. This can be used as a class display.
● History head: Draw a generic outline or profile of a head, or have students draw outlines representing themselves.
Within the head, students create images or write words that represent their feelings/emotions about the March.
● Alphabet book: In groups or individually, students create an alphabet book of the March. They can draw or import
images for each letter of the alphabet representing an aspect of the March.
● Diary or journal entry: Students can create a diary entry as if they were present at the March.
● Oral history: Ask students to interview someone who remembers the March.
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