Agency, I have the privilege to present to
you a dramatic document of man's continuing search for dignity.
It is a film about the great Civil Rights March in Washington, a moving exercise of
one of the most cherished rights in a free society, the right of peaceful protest.
I believe that this demonstration of both Whites and Negros, supported by the federal
government and by both President Johnson and the late President Kennedy, is a profound
example of the procedures unfettered men use to broaden the horizons of freedom and deepen
the meaning of personal liberty. Freedom Now Movement, hear me: We are requesting
all citizens to move into Washington, to go by plane, by car, bus, any way that you can
get there. Walk if necessary.
We are pushing for jobs, housing, desegregated schools.
This is an urgent request, please join, go to Washington!
Negroes want the same things that White citizens possess!
All of their rights. They want no reservations, they want complete
equality: social, economic, and political. And no force under the sun can stem and block and stop this Civil Rights revolution, which is now underway. [singing] Hold On! Hold On! Keep your eyes on the prize hold on. On August 28th, 1963, two hundred thousand Americans came to Washington to demand complete freedom for everyone. This is the story of that day.
[singing] Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on, hold on. Hold on! Hold on! [singing] Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on, hold on.
Well if the FBI [singing] would investigate, then probably then [singing] we could get a break. Keep your eyes [singing] on the prize, hold on, hold on. [singing] Hold on! Hold on! Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on, hold on. Well we are all here black and white, trying to fight for equal rights. [singing] Keep your eyes on the prize,
hold on, hold on. Hold on! Hold on! Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on. They came from Los Angeles and San Fransisco,
or about the distance from Moscow to Bombay. They came from Cleveland, Chicago, or about
the distance from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro. They came from Jackson,Mississippi, from Birmingham,
Alabama, or about the distance from Johannesburg to Dar Es Salaam.
By the end of August 1963, in some places of the United States, a Negro could not go
to school where he chose, eat where he wished, build his home where it pleased him, or find
jobs for which he was qualified. He had been insulted, beaten, jailed, drenched
with water, chased by dogs, but he was coming to Washington he said to swallow up hatred
in love, to overcome violence by peaceful protest.
Many people predicted violence; Negro groups trained themselves to overwhelm it.
Armed with portable two way radios, volunteers scattered throughout the March would keep
watch should violence come there that day, they would call for help.
Each man would have a code name: Freedom, Equality, Justice, Jobs.
The constitution of the United States guarantees every American the right to protest peaceably.
Two hundred thousand Americans, then, were going to use this right.
Three hundred and fifty years ago, white men came to America, and three hundred and fifty
years ago, the Negro came to America. The one came as master, the other as slave.
One hundred years ago, Abraham Lincoln declared, as President of the United States, that all
slaves would henceforward be set free. Now, both black and white Americans were preparing
to march, to say that a century later the black man still was not completely free.
If I am not free, you are not free; if one man on earth is partly enslaved, the world
is not completely free. It was every man's duty then to help every
other man. In New York, volunteers worked for two days
and two nights to make lunches for the march. They made eighty thousand cheese sandwiches.
[singing] We shall overcome! We shall overcome! [singing] We shall overcome someday!
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
we shall overcome someday. The pins said, "I march for jobs and freedom." Everyone who marched wore one.
The two hundred thousand people who were to march that day were held together by the strength of that pin. This morning, Father, we ask that Thou would
hear the prayers of Thy children everywhere, those who are burdened down because of conditions
here in America, and those who are confused about how they should treat their fellow man.
Whoa, God rest for those that have hatred in their heart, to touch their hearts right
now, Father, and somehow fill their hearts with love.
You know God, make this a land in which live a land of plenty and a land of righteousness,
O God, may we recognize this land as a land of freedom for every race, o Father.
[singing] Here in my heart, I do believe, [singing] we shall overcome someday. [humming] [humming] Freedom! Freedom! 5-4-3-2-1
Testing, 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 This is an audio test, 1-2-3-4-5
5-4-3-2-1 1-2-3-4-5
In the night, few people had arrived. Negro leaders feared that their work had failed.
Those that did come, waited singing. [singing] O, deep in my heart, You know that
I do believe, O we shall overcome some day! We are encouraged, we are not going to fight
our white brethren with malice, nor are we going to fight them with any falsified stories,
nor are we gonna fight them with hatred, but we're gonna fight them with love.
When they hate us, we're gonna absorb their hatred in love.
When they speak against us, we're gonna speak things of love toward them.
We're not gonna let their hatred turn us around, but we're gonna love them on every side.
[singing] O, I do believe, [singing] O, we shall overcome someday! Shake hands with the person beside you! Are you gonna be free? Yes! Do you wanna be free? Yes! Let me hear you say it: Freedom! Let me hear you say it: Freedom! Let me hear you say it: Freedom! [chatter] [chatter and singing] Alright, just pass them back! Alright, I'll start on this side.
Alright, pass them down! If you have any questions, or anything that's
bothering you, be sure to contact your captains for anything, and they will take it from there.
Do not try to do anything on your own, because the minute you do, you will be upsetting the
purpose of this march. The whole thing is an orderly conducted march. [chatter] [chatter] Freedom!
Freedom!
Freedom! [singing] We are not afraid. [singing] We are not afraid. We are not afraid today! [singing] Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday! We shall overcome!
[singing] We shall overcome! [singing] We shall overcome! We shall overcome someday! [singing] Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
that We shall overcome someday! [applause] [singing] I'm on my way, and I won't turn back! [singing] And I'm on my way, and I won't turn back! [singing] Oh I'm on my way, and I won't turn back! [singing] I'm on my way, thank God, I'm on my way! [singing] And I'm on my way, and I won't turn back! [singing] And I'm on my way, and I won't turn back! [singing] I'm on my way, and I won't turn back, [singing] I'm on my way, thank God, I'm on my way! [applause] We call this section of our program to a halt,
and ask you to assemble in your respective groups, and begin the March for Freedom now.
Let us begin quietly and orderly to move out, remembering that by your great numbers, you
will force a slow, dignified, and stately march. We'll see you at the Lincoln Memorial. Very, very fine.
We're gonna wake up Lincoln, telling him to get up and stop tapping his feet. [singing quietly] [singing and clapping]
[chanting] [singing] Freedom, Freedom, Freedom, Freedom!
Freedom, Freedom, Freedom, Freedom!
Freedom, Freedom, Freedom, Freedom! [singing] Freedom, Freedom, Freedom, Freedom!
Freedom, Freedom, Freedom, Freedom! [singing] Freedom, Freedom, Freedom, Freedom!
Freedom, Freedom, Freedom, Freedom! [singing] Well if you walk the walk, then you talk the talk!
Well if you walk the walk, then you talk the talk!
[singing] [singing] Stayed on freedom!
Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah! [singing] Well if you walk the walk, then you talk the talk!
Well if you walk the walk, then you talk the talk! [chatter and music] [singing] Stayed on Freedom!
Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah! Ladies and Gentlemen! Ladies and Gentlemen, your attention please!
Ladies and Gentlemen, your attention please! I would first like to congratulate all of
you on the orderly, dignified manner in which you executed the March from the Washington
Memorial. You have already told the world what we are
here for, and shown them by your courage, determinitation, and your order that we mean
business. [applause] We will now be favored with a solo by Miss Marian Anderson. We would like to do for you a Negro spiritual which has been a favorite of many audiences
through the United States. At the piano is Mr. Fax.
We would like to do for you "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." [singing] He's got the whole world in His hands, [singing] He's got the big round world in His
hands, He's got the wide world in His hands, [singing] He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the wind and the rain [singing] in His hands, He's got the moon and the stars
in His hands, He's got the wind and the rain [singing] in His hands, He's got the whole world in
His hands. [singing] He's got the little bits of baby
in His hands, He's got the little bits of [singing] baby in His hands, He's got the little bits
of baby in His hands, [singing] He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got you and me brother [singing] in His hands, He's got you and me sister in His hands,
He's got you and me brother in His hands, [singing] He's got the whole world in his hands.
Oh He's got everybody in His hands, [singing] He's got everybody in His hands, He's got
everybody here right in His hands, [singing] He's got the whole world in His hands! [applause] I have the pleasure to present to you Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. [applause] The audio has been redacted due to a copyright
restriction by Dr. King's family. [applause] The audio has been redacted due to a copyright
restriction by Dr. King's family. [applause] The audio has been redacted due to a copyright
restriction by Dr. King's family. [applause] The audio has been redacted due to a copyright
restriction by Dr. King's family. [applause] The audio has been redacted due to a copyright
restriction by Dr. King's family. [cheers]
[applause] [singing] Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe
that we shall overcome someday! [singing] On behalf of the National Committee for the
March on Washington [singing] Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
we shall overcome someday! [singing] Let us walk together, Let us walk together. [singing] We shall overcome someday!
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
we shall overcome someday! [singing] I think history was written today, which will
have its affect on coming generations, with respect to our democracy, with respect to
our ideals, with respect to the great struggle of man toward freedom and human dignity.
There were many who praised this day and said that there had been a new awakening in the
conscience of the nation. Others called it a national disgrace.
In the wake of this day, more violence was to come, more hatred.
But in the long history of man's cruelty to man, this was a day of hope. [singing] Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!
Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!
