John Lewis, Part 5: August 28, 1963, March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
The 250,000-person March on Washington was a resounding success, so most critics fell silent after the event. All the more reason to identify and reflect on the opposition that tested the moral courage and steely conviction required to pull off such a risky venture during such a volatile time in U.S. history. Leading up to the March, President Kennedy was supportive, publicly. Behind the scenes, his administration feared the event would incite violence that would erode public support for the Civil Rights Movement and undermine Congressional support for the Civil Rights Act, which he had introduced on June 11. He knew that many Congressional members were looking for any excuse to vote NO. Opposition came from within the movement, too. Malcolm X felt the event had been hijacked by white liberals and become a symbol of “integration” versus an expression of genuine Black frustration with racial inequality. And Stokely Carmichael wasn’t the only member of SNCC, which Lewis became Chairman