LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 46th Anniversary of The March
on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

WHEREAS, In the course of history, certain events have exemplified the
power of the human spirit to overcome oppression; today we must remember
such events, and pay tribute to the people involved who fought for the
cause of freedom; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commem-
orate the 46th Anniversary of The March on Washington for Jobs and Free-
dom; and
WHEREAS, The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place in
Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963; attended by some 250,000 people,
it was the largest demonstration ever seen in the nation's capital, and
one of the first to have extensive television coverage; and
WHEREAS, The year 1963 was noted for racial unrest and civil rights
demonstrations; nationwide outrage was sparked by media coverage of
police actions in Birmingham, Alabama, where attack dogs and fire hoses
were turned against protestors, many of whom were in their early teens
or younger; Martin Luther King, Jr., was arrested and jailed during
these protests, writing his famous "Letter From Birmingham City Jail,"
which advocates civil disobedience against unjust laws; and
WHEREAS, Dozens of additional demonstrations took place across the
country, from California to New York, culminating in the March on Wash-
ington; President John Kennedy backed a Civil Rights Act, which was
stalled in Congress by the summer; and
WHEREAS, The March on Washington represented a coalition of several
civil rights organizations, all of which generally had different
approaches and different agendas; the "Big Six" organizers were James
Farmer, of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE); Martin Luther King,
Jr., of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC); John Lewis,
of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC); A. Philip
Randolph, of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters; Roy Wilkins, of
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP);
and Whitney Young, Jr., of the National Urban League; and
WHEREAS, The stated demands of the March were the passage of meaning-
ful civil rights legislation; the elimination of racial segregation in
public schools; protection for demonstrators against police brutality; a
major public-works program to provide jobs; the passage of a law prohib-
iting racial discrimination in public and private hiring; a $2 an hour
minimum wage; and self-government for the District of Columbia, which
had a black majority; and
WHEREAS, The event included musical performances by Marian Anderson;
Joan Baez; Bob Dylan; Mahalia Jackson; Peter, Paul, and Mary; and Josh
White; Charlton Heston representing a contingent of artists, including
Harry Belafonte, Marlon Brando, Diahann Carroll, Ossie Davis, Sammy
Davis Jr., Lena Horne, Paul Newman, and Sidney Poitier; and
WHEREAS, Although monumental, it was at The March on Washington for
Jobs and Freedom that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his historic
"I Have a Dream" speech advocating racial harmony at the Lincoln Memori-
al during the event; this particular march was an important part of the
rapidly expanding Civil Rights Movement, and is widely credited for
helping to pass the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the National Voting
Rights Act (1965); and
WHEREAS, Events expressing the bravery, willingness and sacrifice for
the well-being of future generations, are deserving of the highest honor
by all defenders of freedom and democracy; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 46th Anniversary of The March on Washington for Jobs and
Freedom.