More than two generations after the 1963 March on Washington that featured Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Dream” speech, and despite the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement, most Americans forget or do not know to what extent the bigotry of the times were ingrained: A Newsweek poll at the time found that 55 percent of whites objected to living next to a Black person, that 90 percent objected to their teenage daughter dating a Black individual.
As the day approached for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, organized by the socialist union organizers and civil rights activists A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin, Washington D.C. emptied out. Scared residents fled, taking their stereotypes with them: the thinking was that no gathering of Blacks could go without riots. As Rick Perlstein reported in “Before the Storm,” his book on Barry Goldwater, King was asked point blank in a television interview on on Meet the Press whether “it would be impossible to bring more than 100,000 militant Negroes into Washington without incidents and possible rioting.”
William F. Buckley’s National Review described the march as the “mob deployment.” A Major League Baseball game scheduled that day between the Twins and the Washington Senators was cancelled. The military deployed 4,000 troops in the suburbs–those suburbs at which President Trump has been directing his less veiled appeals to anti-Black prejudice for the past two weeks, on Twitter and at the Republican National Convention, though even President Kennedy in 1963 worried about marchers riotously rushing into Congress. Only 20 percent of respondents in a Gallup poll found the march overdue and a welcome expression of calls for Black justice, while Newsweek titled its issue that week with Buckley-like contempt: “What The White Man Thinks of the Negro Revolt.”
The march 57 years ago was peaceful of course, and marked a turning point in the civil rights movement, culminating with King’s speech.
Friday morning, the Flagler Branch of the NAACP, in conjunction with the African American Cultural Society, will host a Motorized March to commemorate the historic 1963 march on its anniversary, starting at 11 a.m. in Palm Coast’s Town Center. Cars will begin lining up at 9:30 on Bulldog Drive, then make their way to State Road 100 wesbound to the Flagler County Courthouse, where they’ll park and face speakers on the courthouse steps. The speakers will have a public address system under a tent and will “commemorate the event itself,” says Linda Sharpe-Matthews, who heads the Flagler Branch of the NAACP. Speakers will talk on “criminal justice issues, voting rights issues and police reform.”
Any person who’s asked to be on the speakers’ platform is welcome to speak, including candidates for office, community leaders, people who chair local organizations and the like. “The main thing is getting people out to vote and making sure that their rights have been restored or maintained,” Sharpe-Matthews said. “People can roll their windows down or they can socially distance in their cars.” She expects some 500 people in attendance. A few weeks ago, when the NAACP held a similar motorized march to commemorate the Voting Rights Act, the event drew 155 cars. Sharpe-Matthews is expecting “double or triple that.”
An actual march is scheduled in Washington Friday. “Headlined by the Rev. Al Sharpton, who will be joined by King’s eldest son, Martin Luther King III, and family members of several men and women who were killed by law enforcement officers,” the Washington Post reports, “the demonstration will conclude a week of large-scale events in the nation’s capital, including days of protests and a fireworks display over the Washington Monument to mark the end of the Republican National Convention.” The march on Washington has been dubbed the “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” march, a reference to a Minneapolis police officer’s killing of George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nine minutes. S
Sharpe-Matthews was going to attend, “but because the covid situation hasn’t gotten any better I decided against it. I don’t know how you can social distance with 50,000 to 100,000 people gathered in one area,” she said. The event in Palm Coast and Bunnell, she said, will seek to teach a younger generation the history of the original march and the importance of social justice reform, and “do it in a way that doesn’t stir up anger and violence. We’re going to give them a history lesson.”
For additional information on the Motorized March email [email protected] or call the NAACP office and leave a message 386-446-7822.
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Dennis says
: A Newsweek poll at the time found that 55 percent of whites objected to living next to a Black person, Ask the question, why! They are afraid! It’s not they are a bad person, it’s perceived they are bad. I think they associate crime with black America. Watch the 5 o’clock news, and it seems like 90% of the crime they see is committed by a person of color. Right, or wrong, you are judged by others. BLM believes judges that all cops are after them and bad. They can’t see that it’s a very slim amount of bad cops. Most are good. Same as blacks Now relate that to the block person, moving next to a white family. They probably judge all black bad, just as BLM believe all cops are bad. It’s the same. Racism is on all levels. Not just on the white race.
William J Campion Jr says
BLM believes “all cops are bad”. Apparently all you watch is Fox Newz, where the whole country is on fire and there is no pandemic.
E Pluribus says
Dennis you are 100% correct. Objecting to Black people living next to you is totally racist. Believing that crime is committed mainly by persons of color is incredibly racist. Suggesting that people of all walks of life are protesting rogue police officers murdering citizens are racist is in fact very racist of you.
I see that you posted your response at 4:23 AM. Maybe you could put some of that restless energy into bettering yourself. Try reading a book, helping out in your community, spending time with your friends doing something fun. You seem really tense about people celebrating a moment in civil rights history.
John says
– Voting rights: No felons because they’ll vote for the one that’ll do the worst.
– Police reform: Increase the funding for training and increase the amount of officers.
– Criminal Justice Issues: If you think there are issues, you’re the issue.
CB from PC says
A “history lesson” is sorely needed. Teach them it was Abraham Lincoln the Republican who had an army sacrificing 325,000 plus Union lives, many fresh off the boat, to eliminate slavery.
Teach them The Southern Dixiecrat Democrats fought against the right to vote, supported Jim Crow, the Klan, segregation and kept returning WWII African American veterans
from sitting at the same lunch counter as Whites.
Teach them the “inconvenient truth” about the Party which will continue to use them to keep themselves in power.
Teach them about Joe Biden’s long history of legislative support of busing and the Crime Bill of 1994 which further impeded progress.
Sadly, some people continue to fail to open their eyes.
Trailer Bob says
The line between black, hispanic, and whites has gotten thinner during the last few decades. I do not see a major race problem in Flagler, at least not in Bunnell where I live.
It is sad when the color of one’s skin defines their moral integrity, abilities, or value to mankind.
My experience living in Flagler County is positive. Whenever I run into someone of color, my experience has always been positive. “Whats up brother?” or “Damn it freaking hot!” kind of stuff.
Of Course there are the exceptions to that experience, and those “other than respectful” exceptions are limited to low intelligence racists, and yes…that occurs on both sides.
Time to stop the ignorance of judging someone by the color of their skill. But of course, the negative judgement is at times qualified..again, on both sides.
No one wins with regard to the ignorance of racism. It is 2020…time to transition. Hate is like a cancer, but there is a cure, it is called honesty and human brotherhood.
Trailer Bob says
And yes, I am a Republican…lol
MrsRob says
FYI that was the African American Cultural Society that had the motorized march to commemorate the voting rights act.
whathehck says
Black lives matter is not saying only black lives matter. It is saying black lives do not matter less.
Of course every live matters but not all lives are in danger simply because of their skin color.
Of course there are many more good cops in our society than bad ones. The good ones have to take a stand against the bad apples.
Mike Cocchiola says
Those who don’t get it by now simply won’t ever get it. I don’t speak for the NAACP, the AACS or BLM, but I do know that Blacks get arrested, get convicted, get imprisoned, serve longer sentences and get shot by law enforcement in a far greater proportion to their percentage of American citizenry. Blacks kids are thrust into the criminal justice system for infractions that white kids are “forgiven”. Blacks as a “group” have 1/10th of economic wealth of whites. They are routinely denied the investment money they need to start businesses and turned away from housing. In short, cultural, judicial and economic rascism are still rampant in America 158 years after the emancipation act and 56 years after the voting rights act. The data and the facts are undeniable.
For me, that’s what this march is all about. Our Black community is supremely justified in demanding action from both major political parties. No action, no peace.
CB from PC says
Hate to burst your bubble, but anyone resisting arrest and especially shooting or going after cops with a weapon is running the risk of being met with lethal force.
Bike Rider says
Three times this week alone,while exercising on the bike trails,I have been approached by Black Lives matter supporters. I HAVE SIMPLY EXPRESSED MY OPINION THAT ALL LIVES MATTER!!. WHITE-BLACK,LATINO,HISPANIC,ASIAN-EVERY LIFE MATTERS ! All three times i was called a racist.The last time, it was about to turn physical and I simply rode away. Can someone explain to me why I was called names? I am just trying to include everyone.(My Belief)
Stacey says
That was very rude and racist of you to say to BLM supporters. We do not need people like you in times like these. We are an inclusive society and your blatant desisiveness is not needed. If you can not bear to push the words Black Lives Matter from between your lips, then you have some internal looking to do of yourself.
Bill C says
It’s such a specious argument, pretending compassion while denying another’s reality. Of course all lives matter, but black lives matter LESS in this country. You were called names because your denial is perceived as covert racism.
Bike Rider says
WOW!!!!!!!!!!——-WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THIS COUNTRY !!!!!!——BR
Bill C says
Gee, how do we know you’re a white person without you saying so? And you “were approached by Black Lives matter supporters” on three separate occasions in one week? Sounds more like innocent you were riding around inviting confrontations.