Mastodon
RNS logo

RNS-CIVIL-RIGHTS h

Strong bipartisan support will be necessary to push civil rights legislation through Congress, President Kennedy told leaders of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The march chairmen spent an hour with the chief executive following the demonstration that drew over 200,000 people to the capital on Aug. 28, 1963. Shown here, from left, are: Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, Floyd B. McKissick, national chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality; Mathew Ahmann, executive director of the National Catholic Conference for Interracial Justice; Whitney M. Young Jr., executive director of the National Urban League; the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., founder and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; John Lewis (in rear), chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee; Rabbi Joachim Prinz, president of the American Jewish Congress; the Rev. Eugene Carson Blake (in rear), chief executive officer of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. and acting chairman of the National Council of Churches' Commission on Religion and Race; A. Philip Randolph, founder and president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, director of the march; President Kennedy, and Walter P. Reuther, president of the United Automobile Workers Union. Religion News Service file photo
Sally Morrow

(1963) Strong bipartisan support will be necessary to push civil rights legislation through Congress, President Kennedy told leaders of the historic March on Washington for Jobs Freedom. The march chairmen spent an hour with the chief executive following the demonstration that drew over 200,000 people to the capital. Shown here, from left, are: Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, Floyd B. McKissick, national chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality; Mathew Ahmann, executive director of the National Catholic Conference for Interracial Justice; Whitney M. Young Jr., executive director of the National Urban League; the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., founder and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; John Lewis (in rear), chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee; Rabbi Joachim Prinz, president of the American Jewish Congress; the Rev. Eugene Carson Blake (in rear), chief executive officer of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. and acting chairman of the National Council of Churches’ Commission on Religion and Race; A. Philip Randolph, founder and president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, director of the march; President Kennedy, and Walter P. Reuther, president of the United Automobile Workers Union. Religion News Service File Photo

Explore More in:
No paywalls here. Thanks to you.
As an independent nonprofit, RNS believes everyone should have access to coverage of religion that is fair, thoughtful and inclusive. That's why you will never hit a paywall on our site; you can read all the stories and columns you want, free of charge (and we hope you read a lot of them!)

But, of course, producing this journalism carries a high cost, to support the reporters, editors, columnists, and the behind-the-scenes staff that keep this site up and running. That's why we ask that if you can, you consider becoming one of our donors. Any amount helps, and because we're a nonprofit, all of it goes to support our mission: To produce thoughtful, factual coverage of religion that helps you better understand the world. Thank you for reading and supporting RNS.
Deborah Caldwell, CEO and Publisher
Donate today