This Is Why I Am Marching...
Fifty years ago, 250,000 Americans converged on the nation's capitol for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and to pressure the Kennedy administration to pass a federal civil rights bill.
In addition to the civil rights legislation, the organizers and supporters agreed to these goals for the march:
— Immediate elimination of school segregation.
— A program of public works, including job training, for the unemployed.
— A federal law prohibiting discrimination in public or private hiring.
— A $2-an-hour minimum wage nationwide.
— Withholding federal funds from programs that tolerate discrimination.
— Enforcement of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution by reducing congressional representation from States that disenfranchise citizens.
— A broadened Fair Labor Standards Act to currently excluded employment areas.
— Authority for the attorney general to institute injunctive suits when constitutional rights are violated.
To commemorate the historic March on Washington, BET.com wants to know why you are marching. Tell us below and tweet your responses using #MarchDC50 and follow BET.com's coverage at BET.com/MOW.
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(Photo: National Archive/Newsmakers)