H. Res. 352 
In the House of Representatives, U.S., 
September 16, 2003. 
Whereas the first call for a march on Washington was initi-
ated in 1941 by A. Philip Randolph, President of the 
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, in response to the 
blatant discrimination that had become a constant hard-
ship in the lives of African-American workers; 
Whereas in the spring and summer of 1963, more than 
20,000 United States citizens were arrested and detained 
while nonviolently protesting the racial injustice that was 
widespread throughout the southern United States at 
that time; 
Whereas Randolph told President Kennedy that the African- 
American population was going to march peacefully on 
Washington to demand their full and equal constitutional 
rights in the face of severe civil rights violations and 
harsh economic inequality; 
Whereas in June of 1963 the ‘‘Big Six’’ civil rights leaders— 
Martin Luther King, Jr., James Farmer, John Lewis, 
Whitney Young, Roy Wilkins, and A. Philip Randolph— 
convened to plan a mass protest that would begin at the 
Washington Monument and end in front of the Lincoln 
Memorial;
•HRES 352 EH 
Whereas the march was initially termed the ‘‘March on 
Washington for Jobs and Freedom’’, and aimed to ad-
vance support for a new Federal jobs program and a 
higher minimum wage; 
Whereas the Big Six expanded the focus of the march to in-
clude civil rights injustices due to the disturbing events 
that had occurred in the months prior to the march, such 
as police dogs attacking peaceful demonstrators in Bir-
mingham, the assassination of Medgar Evers in Jackson, 
and the lack of congressional support for President Ken-
nedy’s civil rights bill; 
Whereas Government officials were concerned about the out-
break of violence, but many civil rights organizations held 
orientation meetings before the march that taught and 
stressed the intrinsic non-violent principles of the move-
ment; 
Whereas on August 28, 1963, people from throughout the 
country arrived in Washington by plane, bus, train, and 
foot to express the urgent need for forceful and imme-
diate action on the issue of civil rights; 
Whereas demonstrators pledged their commitment and con-
tinued participation in the struggle for civil rights; 
Whereas March leaders met with President Kennedy and 
Members of Congress to discuss the importance and con-
sequential impact of the pending civil rights bill that 
aimed to end discrimination of African-Americans in the 
work place, voting booth, educational facilities, and all 
other public domains; 
Whereas the demonstrators peacefully marched through the 
streets of the capital and, at the Lincoln Memorial, heard 
empowering and inspiring words from the Big Six lead-
•HRES 352 EH 
ers, as well as Walter Reuther, Rev. Eugene Blake Car-
son, Rabbi Joachim Prinz, Matthem Ahmann, and Floyd 
McKissick; 
Whereas police officers had their days of leave cancelled, sub-
urban forces were given special control training, and 
15,000 paratroopers were put on alert, but no Marchers 
were arrested or jailed and the march dispersed without 
incident; 
Whereas the March was one of the first events to be televised 
worldwide, and thus brought international attention to 
the social and economic plight of African-Americans; 
Whereas 15 Senators and 60 Representatives attended the 
rally at the Lincoln Memorial and witnessed the commit-
ment of the demonstrators to the struggle for domestic 
and universal human rights; 
Whereas the March sparked the passage of the Civil Rights 
Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965; 
Whereas the public display of humanity exhibited by the 
March educated the public and helped to correct some of 
their misconceptions, and demonstrated the possibility 
that an entire country could be changed through non-vio-
lent protest; and 
Whereas the 1963 March on Washington was the largest po-
litical demonstration in United States history and proved 
to the nation that prejudice and discrimination against 
African-Americans and other minorities could be success-
fully fought by a collective force committed to the prin-
ciples of non-violence: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
•HRES 352 EH 
(1) honors the 1963 March on Washington as one 
of the largest political demonstrations in United States 
history; 
(2) recognizes the monumental importance of the 
1963 March on Washington in the on-going struggle for 
civil rights and equal rights for all Americans; and 
(3) extends its gratitude to the organizers and par-
ticipants of the 1963 March on Washington for their 
dedication and commitment to equality and justice. 
Attest: 
Clerk.