Fifty years ago, on Aug. 28, 1963, hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall to take part in the March on Washington. People from all over the country traveled to the nation's capitol to rally for equal rights and to hear Martin Luther King Jr., deliver the keynote address. While the day is mostly remembered for King's "I Have A Dream" speech, the march was a watershed moment in the Civil Rights Movement that helped turned the tide of public opinion. Less than a year later, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
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Marchers held hands on the national mall.
King delivered his rousing "I Have a Dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 28, 1963. Sammy Davis Jr. also attended the march. He is pictured on the bottom right.
Nine-year-old Austin Clinton Brown of Gainesville, Ga., joined the march. The top of the Washington Monument was reflected in his sunglasses.
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Marchers took a moment to pose for a photographer.
Marchers held signs that said "Integrate Schools Now!" and "We Demand Voting Rights Now!"
Demonstrators bused in from all over the country to take part in the march.
Folk singers Joan Baez and Bob Dylan performed at the rally.
Protesters flooded the nation's capitol, demanding equal rights.
Large crowds gathered at the Washington Monument and around the reflecting pool to listen to the day's speakers.
Marlon Brando, right, posed with James Baldwin, an author and civil rights leader, in front of the Lincoln statue. Charlton Heston and Harry Belafonte joined them in the picture.
King waves to the crowd during his "I Have a Dream" speech.
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The peaceful march gave way to joyful celebrations as the crowd rallied for equal rights.
Crowds gathered around the reflecting pool on the National Mall.
A group of demonstrators made its way to the National Mall to protest for the civil rights in Washington, D.C.
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