FREEDOM SHRINE

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stood in front of thousands of people to give what would be one of the most famous speeches in the world. In a time of great racism in America, MLK Jr. was a Christian minister and an activist for the Civil Rights Movement during the mid 20th century. Leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), MLK Jr. was very active in defending African Americans, leading a bus boycott and organizing marches. One such march was The March on Washington. Over 250,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial to listen to what the march leaders had to say. The leaders aimed to draw attention to continuing challenges and inequalities faced by African Americans a century after emancipation. MLK Jr. gave his 17 minute “I have a dream speech” in which he called for civil and economic rights and for an end to racism in the United States.