Demonstrators during the March on Washington
Officially called “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom,” the August 28th, 1963 gathering was first met with concern. President John F. Kennedy even met with civil rights leaders before the march, letting them know his fears about the likelihood of the event ending in violence. Kennedy had deemed it “ill-timed.” Nevertheless, the march happened. They had the momentum of the earlier Birmingham, Alabama mass protests by their side. More than 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial. There were also about 3,000 members of the press present.