Civil Rights Conference to Put The Spot Light on ’63 Participants

50th Anniversary of the March on Washington

On August 27th hundreds of citizens attended the 2013 Conference on Civil Rights: Marching Forward By Looking Back. The following morning, on August 28, 2013, thousands of citizens, from across this country, converged upon our nation’s capital to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.

This site provides opportunities for people to share remembrances of and pictures from both marches. Additionally, visitors to this site can get updates on a variety of ongoing civil rights initiatives intended to make Dr. King’s dream a reality.

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There were plenty of recognizable “faces in the crowd” on August 28, 1963. Doctor King, A Philip Randolph, Charleston Heston, Sammy Davis Jr, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan were among the high profile faces that we recognized then and now.

But with over 250,000 people at the March, there were many many more people who did not have household names or recognizable faces, but their presence at the ’63 march was just as impactful and important.

Edith Lee Payne (who was just a child when she attended the March) was one of those “nameless” thousands. Fortunately, a photographer capture her mesmerizing stare that day. Her face depicted in this iconic photograph (which is now a part of the Library of Congress Archives) reveals the power of the American spirit.

Because we were able to identify Ms. Payne, she has graciously agreed to be one of our panelist during the Pre-Anniversary March Conference on Civil Rights. That panel discussion (offering the unique perspective of March participants) will focus on where we have been and where we need to go in the area of civil rights.

Stay tuned to this web site for more details on the Anniversary March and Pre-Anniversary March Civil Rights Conference.