Over 200,000 protesters attended the March on Washington in the nation's capital on August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to win civil rights for African Americans. There was wide diversity among participants, with a quarter of all protesters being white (Ross). People from the south also came to contribute, which caused harassment and threats for participating in the march. The March on Washington became a highly successful event for African American rights and changed several people's views on the issue, including that of President John Kennedy. “The president feared that this might cause the legislature to vote against civil rights bills in reaction to a perceived threat. However, once it became clear that the march would continue, he supported it” (Ross). Planning the event took over a year with the help of many organizations. The event soon became the largest human rights demonstration in Washington DC (official program). How did the March on Planning and Organizing in Washington help influence so many people and give them the rights they fought for? The year 1963 was characterized by extreme racial tension and discussions about the rights of African Americans. White people were very prejudiced against black people and used all kinds of falderal. Several people began to stand up and express their opinions on civil disobedience as enshrined in the laws. Many did it in public, so they were arrested and sent to prison. An example of this was Martin Luther King, Jr. when he wrote “Letter from the Birmingham City Jail” during the time of the protests. All the people's opinions are what led to the March on Washington. “In the summer of 1941 A. Philip Randolph, founder of Broth... middle of paper...... all the rights they deserved. Works Cited Brown v. Board of Education. May 8, 2014. History: The March on Washington. 2013. April 23, 2014. March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. April 16, 2014. Official March on Washington Program (1963). April 29, 2014 .Ross, Schmuel. Information, please. 2014. April 21, 2014. Tomasky, Micheal. Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and More Music at the 1963 March on Washington. August 27, 2013. May 14 2014 .