Veterans of the Civil Rights Movement -- March on Washington

The March on Washington
Remembered by Avon Rollins Sr.

Preparing for the March in Washington was an exciting time. As a member of the Executive Committee of SNCC, I was involved in the preliminary planning for the march. The actual march was very different from that which some had suggested and recommended take place. For example, some had recommended a "human petition" take place in Washington, D.C. The purpose of this "human petition" was to stop the disenfranchisement of African-Americans from receiving the rights guaranteed to them under Constitution of the United States. For some of the more radical among us, the March on Washington was to be a rally where individuals would engage in activities to disrupt the government by massive telephone calling to the various departments of government by chaining themselves to the White House and stopping traffic. Government would cease to function. As history has reported those actions did not take place.

In late August, I left Knoxville in route to Danville, Virginia. Danville had become a hotspot for civil rights protest in the southeastern United States. I arranged for Matt Jones, who assisted me with the SNCC Danville project, to lead the Danville delegation to the March. Matt Jones was also from Knoxville, Tennessee and later went on to write some of the greatest songs of the civil rights movement.

After conferring with SNCC, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the local Danville leadership, I departed Danville for a series of speaking engagements in order to raise money for the civil rights movement--- in particular for SNCC. On or about August 26th, I spoke in Chicago to the Students for Democratic Society (SDS) to secure their support of the demonstrations in the south, to raise money and to lead a contingent to the March in Washington.

According to my plane ticket, I departed Chicago on August 27th at 6:00 pm. The ticket does not show the arrival time. I assumed that I arrived in Washington, D.C. around 8:00 that evening. I immediately went to the hotel and checked in at the Statler Hilton Hotel in Washington, D. C. which was the headquarters hotel for the leadership of the March on Washington. After checking in I met with SNCC staff, those from Atlanta, and from afar. Marion Berry, the first chairman of SNCC was there. He too had come from Knoxville, Tennessee; Joyce and Dorrie Ladner of Mississippi, Gloria Richardson and Reggie Robinson of Cambridge Maryland, Ivanhoe Donaldson from the Danville Project, Ruby Doris Smith, and Bobbie Yancy from Atlanta.

On August 27, 1968, I received my credentials as a platform guest at the Lincoln Memorial.

I spent that evening, sharing stories with fellow civil rights workers from across the country of the experiences we had gone through throughout the south because of our belief in the righteousness of the civil rights movement. We felt that we were going to change the world. I retired for the evening not knowing what would happened in the morning, but I was unafraid.

On August 28th, I left the hotel early because there was excitement in the air. As I recall there was a cool breeze. With suit, a shirt and tie, a tote and a straw hat, I headed towards the Washington Monument. As I arrived there, it was very interesting, the streets seemed deserted. Early that morning, about 7:00 or 7:30 a.m., there were maybe 1,000 people assembled. Later on during the morning they came, they came, and they came until the crowd reached its height sometime around 11:30 a.m. Then the marchers left the Washington Monument and headed for the one-mile walk to the Lincoln Memorial. There was some confusion as the March headed out in terms of getting the leadership positioned to lead the march.

Finally, the March was on the way. As I looked at the faces, I was awe struck by the multi-colored faces of the marchers---their dedication, their sincerity, their somberness, the unspoken resolve to make a difference. We all headed out---old, young, black, white, lay, priest, Levite, all headed towards the Lincoln Memorial.

Upon arriving at the Memorial, and presenting my credentials, which was the platform pass, I was permitted to enter the platform. Suddenly, I came face to face with the leaders of the day: Harry Belafonte, Sammy Davis, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Sr., Dick Gregory, Marion Anderson, Oddetta, and on, and on and on. The leadership of the civil rights movement was a who's who of African American history, A. Phillip Randolph and Bayard Rustin were the coordinators of the March. Other titans of the movement in attendance were Roy Wilkins of the NAACP, James Forman, Executive Secretary of SNCC, John Lewis, and the many faces of SNCC. James Farmer of the Congress of Race Equality (CORE) remained in the south in jail and did not attend the March. The singing and the speeches commenced and the highlight of the singing was Mahalia Jackson. She was magnificent. As Mahalia's voice rose, I looked out from my coveted perch and saw the sea of people sway and sing--the great leadership, the preachers, the teachers, the maids and cooks. We all were joined together that day equalized by the color of our skin. I felt that I was truly an eyewitness to history.

The Controversy

Some wanted John Lewis to change his speech. John was the newly elected Chairman of SNCC. In looking back, I guess the issue that confounds me is how they got a hold of John's speech in the first place. John wanted to chastise the politicians for their lack of support for the civil rights movement. John wanted to outline how young people were being whipped for urging blacks to vote in the south as well as old men being jailed. John's speech also went on to imply if the March was only a gesture — that was — obscene.

John wanted to point out that the young people of America, particularly, the south, were the new revolutionaries for social change and justice. Most of all, John wanted to make the remark that these young revolutionaries will march through the South, through the heart of Dixie just as Sherman marched from Atlanta to the sea. He wanted to say that the party of President Kennedy was also the party of Senator Eastland of Mississippi. Where was "our party", we had none. As I recall, it was a white Bishop who objected and John was forced to tone down his speech. About 20 people surrounded John.

We debated the issue at the foot of Lincoln whether to change John's speech or to just leave the March. I suggested we need to disperse and let a few people work with John to change his speech. James Forman, Executive Secretary of SNCC, and Courtland Cox from the Washington, D.C. Office of SNCC, and Gloria Richardson of Cambridge, MD office of SNCC all stayed with John to help him change his speech. The modified speech was well received and as he concluded his remarks all the elders embraced him, shook his hand and congratulated him on his delivery. But his speech was still bold.

Then Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. came to the podium. As he approached, there was a spontaneous roar from the crowd followed by a thunderous ovation. He began his remarks to relay his great dream for America and the tremendous response to his now famous I Have a Dream speech. Today, 40 years later, most school kids know this speech by heart. It makes me proud. When Dr. King concluded his speech, many thought that the March was over and began to leave. Someone went to the podium to encourage people to stay for the remainder of the program. It was an awesome program.

The theme song of the civil rights movement, "We Shall Overcome" was left off the program. Some were afraid a "real" demonstration would break out. Some of the powers that be thought that the song would be a battle cry for the assembled masses; however, the SNCC revolutionaries began to sing. It was a moment of rebellion and defiance. It was contagious as thousands of others joined in and began to join hands and sing the words.

Observations from the Platform

I will never forget looking straight ahead at the hundreds of thousands of people surrounding the Reflecting Pool and all around Washington, D.C. It was an overwhelming sight to behold and to hear the thunderous applause received by the speakers. The March on Washington was a tremendous success.

For a week or so after the March, there was a lull in the civil rights struggle throughout the country. Then came the reaction of the right- wing segregationists of the south who were still vehemently opposed to the civil rights movement.

After the March was over, there was a delegation of the leadership that met with the President at the White House. There was the young John Lewis, our leader and spokesman, Floyd McKissick of CORE, Whitney Young of the National Urban League, A. Phillip Randolph, Head the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters Union, and Roy Wilkins, President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. As I recall, President Kennedy issued a statement praising the "conduct" of marchers and said the cause of 20 million Negroes had been advanced. President Kennedy did not participate in the March directly. However, it is believed that he did intervene with the March indirectly.

I have always believed that it was interesting to note how the nation's Capitol moved 250,000 people into Washington, D.C. and out within a day. We came at sun-up and we were gone by sun-down. The March was over and we went back to our various hamlets in the southland.

In looking back, it is always easy to see your mistakes from a 40 year backward glance. At that great momentous time in history, there were no female speakers. Although there were many females in the forefront of the civil rights movement namely Dorothy Height of the National Council of Negro Women, and Ella Baker who helped Dr. King organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and who was their first Executive Secretary. She helped the students organize SNCC and was a tremendous advisor to both organizations. She would have made a good principal speaker at the March. It was an oversight by the leadership in not including a female spokesperson of the civil rights movement. This is especially true since so many women were participating in the civil rights movement, providing leadership, getting beaten and going to jail.

The March on Washington Remembered by Avon Rollins Sr.

The March on Washington
Remembered by Avon Rollins Sr.