theGrio users weigh in on 1963 March on Washington
theGRIO REPORT - We asked theGrio.com users that question and more in an exclusive survey, and their poignant and candid responses resonate with the passions of today’s events...
That sentiment, still having a long way to go, was echoed when we asked the question “Do you feel the legacy of the march 50 years ago touched your life today?”
- “Absolutely!” said a woman from Austin, TX. She told us that as a “white” American who was 8 at the time of the march, she has seen so much change for the better and has been relieved at each hurdle our nation cleared. But she also told us that she sees an erosion of progress as of late. “To see that people are taking us backwards, gaming the system which is all we have and are, makes me sad and angry.” She went on to tell us, “Taking away the right to vote from anyone is sinful, un-American, anti-freedom and just wrong.” She told theGrio that the legacy of Dr. King taught her about the fairness, justice, and mercy of Jesus Christ. “We will overcome, again and again, daily,” she said. “The sad ones who fight against it, fight against progress and the will of God. They fear that when they are in the minority, they will be treated as they treat minorities. The legacy of the March taught me to treat others as I’d like to be treated and that life can’t be fair unless we fight for fairness daily.”
- An educator from Charlotte, NC said, “I was 6 years old in 1963. Yet, in the aftermath of the 1963 March, I along with others of my generation witness and live through the struggles for human dignity and equality. Because of the works of courageous citizens like Dr. King and the legions of people who fought for civil rights, I am a direct benefactor of the legacy and efforts that they fought so hard to achieve. They fought in their time and now I must honor their efforts by continuing to fight against a rising tide of laws aimed at dismantling the civil rights gains that were achieved.”
- A woman from St. Paul MN told us, “I was 17yrs [sic] old and very militant. I learned to become less angry and more tolerant of ignorant people.”
- A 56-year-old man from Roanoke, VA told us “I grew up during segregation. I was born in the ‘Colored Section’ of the Winchester, Va. Memorial Hospital in 1957. My birth certificate says my race is ‘Colored.’ I remember the things I had to go through when I was a kid. Life in America, while not perfect, is much better now. Perfect? No. Equal? No. But better.”
- A 64-year-old woman from Petersburg, VA said, “My children and now grandchildren and great-grandchildren can walk into any restaurant and sit down and enjoy their meal. They ride on decent buses and go to schools that I can only remember passing by to go to a little 2 or 3-room wood bldg. [sic] with an outside toilet and a pot belly stove that never seemed to warm you up, and books that were forever outdated. We have come a long ways but believe me when I tell you we have not arrived yet. But by the grace of God the dream will become a reality.”
- A 50-year-old respondent from Florida said, “I am afforded many unlimited opportunities to pursue my dreams and career. I have a voice in the political arena and nothing is more precious to me than having been able to cast my vote that put an African-American in the highest political seat in America if not the whole world.”
Though in the 50 years since the March on Washington a black man has been elected president, 40 percent of our respondents feel race relations following Barack Obama’s election are worse off. Just 19 percent feel race relations are better while 31 percent feel race relations are the same. Perhaps education about the civil rights movement and race awareness can help make a difference. Responses to whether the march and its legacy was taught in school on any level were almost equally divided between not being taught at all to being taught somewhat in grade school, but mostly in high school and college.
Respondents told us Black History Month made a difference, without which the civil rights movement would never become a subject in school at all. The King Holiday provided another occasion to learn about civil rights, but the overwhelming feeling was that a more proactive effort to make civil rights and the legacy of the March on Washington a core curriculum item would have a positive impact on civil rights in America.
