The March on Washington, 1963

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8As Andryszewski describes inequalities and difficulties that faced black Americans from the end of slavery to the 1960s, she also provides the background for the extraordinary event that occurred on August 28, 1963. She delineates the role of each of the main participants, especially that of A. Philip Randolph, who proposed the idea of a march in 1941 and who played a pivotal role in the 1963 March on Washington. Insight into the complexity of this undertaking is given through the different personalities and ideas of individuals such as Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, Jr., John Lewis, James Farmer, and Martin Luther King, Jr. and the behind-the-scenes organizational brilliance of Bayard Rustin. King's "I Have a Dream" speech and excerpts from the other men's speeches are quoted as the day unfolds. The rally's impact on the passage of the Civil Rights Bill is also discussed. There is a final brief mention of the anniversary march on August 28, 1993, and the 1995 Million Man March. A useful introduction to this historical achievement.Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA