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Keeping Hope Alive - Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are reminded on almost a daily basis that the struggle for equal opportunity continues. It's frustrating and sometimes feels futile, yet still they dream and hope and fight. Read on to learn how the original March on Washington and the celebration of its 50th anniversary inspires them to never give up.  — Joyce Jones(Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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Rep. John Lewis (Georgia) - "When I look back on Aug. 28, 1963, the day of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, I see it as one of this nation’s finest hours. The American people pushed and pulled, they struggled, suffered, and some even died, to demonstrate their desire to see a more fair, more just society. Their effort and their commitment ushered in a spirit of bipartisanship, collaboration and meaningful change into the Congress."  (Photo: Chris McKay/WireImage)

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Rep. John Conyers (Michigan) - "The 50th anniversary of the March on Washington is a time for historical reflection, on how far we have come as a nation in our struggle against prejudice, hate, and inequality, as well as a time to consider how far we still have to go." (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Photo By Win McNamee/Getty Images

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Rep. James Clyburn (South Carolina) - “I look back on how far we have come in the last 50 years and realize that some of the gains that were made are beginning to slip away. We need to use this anniversary as a call to action to remember the petition of Dr. King not to succumb to the ‘tranquilizing drug of gradualism’ as we see hard won rights being chipped away, but to renew our commitment to the dream he so eloquently articulated.”   (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Rep. Marcia Fudge (Ohio) - "As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and remember the courage of millions during the civil rights movement we also recognize that today, much of what they stood for is at stake. Let us not forget there is still much work to do. We must stay committed to making the dream of Dr. King and all those who stood in solidarity with him 50 years ago today’s reality." (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)

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Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (Missouri) - “I was in high school the day hundreds of thousands of people protested for jobs and freedom in our nation’s capital and first heard the inimitable inspiration of Dr. King later on a record. I was captivated nonetheless. Our civil rights struggle began before that day and continues even now, but we will not rest until we are able to make the promise of America the practice.”(Photo: Kris Connor/Getty Images)

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Rep. Donna Edwards (Maryland)  - "I am a direct product of the civil rights movement and a grateful beneficiary. I was a child at the time, but recognized that the 1963 march was a seminal moment in the fight for racial, social, and economic justice for all. This 50th anniversary is an opportunity to embrace Dr. King’s message of equality and justice by continuing that fight in new ways.” (Photo: Bill Clark/Roll Call via Getty Images)

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Rep. Chaka Fattah (Pennsylvania) - "The March on Washington opened the doorways for millions of African-Americans to march into college and employment, to home ownership, and most important to the franchise, for the right to the vote. We will, as a nation, forever be indebted to those who traveled from all parts of the country to stand up to make our nation a more perfect union.” (Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

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Rep. André Carson (Indiana) - “It's a reminder to all of us that when we come together we can spark a revolution and change the world around us. But most important, the history of that day calls us to action in the present, urging us to continue the fight against the remnants of discrimination that remain.”  (Photo: Chris Maddaloni/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)

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Rep. Barbara Lee (California) - “The March on Washington was a watershed event in American history, revolutionizing how we talk about race in America and setting in motion historic civil rights legislation. As we honor the memory of the march on this 50th anniversary and celebrate all that our country has achieved since then, we must also confront the racism that remains pervasive in our society today.”   (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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Rep. Corrine Brown (Florida) - "We commemorate and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington with deep appreciation and profound gratitude to those who sacrificed and made true their promise of working to make America a better place for everyone. We should not only celebrate this momentous occasion, but must also continue in the pursuit of making justice and equality a reality for all." (Photo: Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/ MCT /LANDOV)

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Rep. Elijah Cummings (Maryland) - "Growing up in a low-income family — just one generation removed from sharecropping in the South — it was hard to see any kind of true hope in a dream. But I saw how the words and conviction of Dr. King empowered and encouraged my parents, my neighbors and my community members. The epiphany that there could be more even for a poor, Black boy from Baltimore, buoyed me through childhood and equipped me to strive for a future of which generations before me could never even dream." (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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Rep. Yvette Clarke (New York) - “We must take this opportunity to reflect upon the status of our collective humanity and chart a course, an enlightened path to a more perfect union that embraces the moral imperatives of yesterday, yet calls for the vigilance required to combat and address the regressive tendencies that have their roots in the segregationist and racially biased history of our nation today." (Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

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Rep. Alcee Hastings (Florida) - “In many ways, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom redefined the American experience. To this day, Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream of an America without the burdens of discrimination stands as an unparalleled vision of our county’s potential.” (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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Rep. Frederica Wilson (Florida) - "The March on Washington pushed open doors of opportunity that enabled me to walk through the halls of Skyway Elementary School as a principal, the halls of the State Capitol of Florida as a State senator, and now the halls of Congress as a United States representative. Fifty years later, we must continue the work of reversing discrimination to eliminate the opportunity gap that lingers.”  (Photo: Tom Williams/Roll Call via Getty Images)

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Rep. Gwen Moore (Wisconsin) - "I think it’s important that during this moment, we recommit ourselves to addressing the issues that disproportionately plague African-American communities, such as high unemployment, equal voting rights and the access to quality and affordable education. I hope that the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington reminds us to continue moving forward in our struggle for justice and equality."  (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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Rep. Lacy Clay (Missouri) - "The March on Washington is a crowning moment in the civil rights movement in this country. The leaders who made the march a reality were saying this is what we stand for as a people and called for civil and voting rights legislation, equal housing laws, justice for African-Americans."(Photo: UPI/Bill Greenblatt /LANDOV)

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Rep. Danny Davis (Illinois) - "We are once again reminded that without jobs and economic security, the notion of equality remains incomplete and unattainable. So as we renew our commitment to the cause that drew marchers to Washington on that August day we do so from the vantage point of 50 more years of history, 50 more years of wisdom and experience obtained at great human cost, and 50 more years of determination and urgency to obtain full equality for all our people." (Photo: Courtesy of Danny Davis)

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Rep. Bennie Thompson (Mississippi) - "As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, I call for a renewed effort to the pursuit of democracy, and a strong conviction by every American to eliminate oppression of any form and to chase justice, not just on Aug. 28, 2013, but each day of their lives."   (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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Rep. Terri Sewell (Alabama) - “The March on Washington is as important today as it was in 1963. The story of the 7th District of Alabama cannot be told without recognizing the influence of the March on Washington on the progress we have made over the past 50 years and the work that lies before us.” (Photo: Thos Robinson/Getty Images for Women's Campaign Fund)

Photo By Photo: Thos Robinson/Getty Images for Women's Campaign Fund

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Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (New Jersey) - “With the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, it is important to recognize the progress we have made toward achieving equality since 1968. Even so, recent events serve as stark reminders that the struggle continues in realizing true equality of opportunity and treatment under the law in this country. Nevertheless, we shall continue to overcome, now and forever.”  (Photo: Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)

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Rep. Robin Kelly (Illinois) - “The March on Washington was a pivotal moment in American history that changed the fabric of our nation. Although we have come far since that time, our work as a nation is not yet done. As we reflect on the past 50 years, we must also look toward the future, working together to fulfill that American dream of justice and equal opportunity for all."(Photo: AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)