BLACK HISTORY

The March on Washington of 1963 and Black Women

A sad but not-so-well-known moment for African Americans

Actress and singer Lena Horne, at March on Washington 1963. Horne was not allowed to address the gathering

When the March on Washington was held 60 years ago, on August 28, 1963, most Americans did not know that Black women were mostly excluded to address the gathering. It is one of the most disappointing moments in the history of the Civil Rights movement. It is, in fact, embarrassing considering the moment.

When Dr. King’s holiday is celebrated each year in January, the nation hears clips of the speech and his footage of the quarter million people who had come. But rarely, if ever, do you hear about the backstory of Black women being denied the chance to speak.

In H.H. Leonards’ recent biography on Rosa Parks (Beyond the Bus), Leonards wrote that Parks was “dumbfounded” by the fierce opposition of the men to equal participation by women in the March on Washington D.C. It didn’t become a moment of retreat for Parks, but rather, it prompted her determination to fight for the rights of all people. Prior to the march, Black women tried to make the case for them to receive speaking parts. It didn’t work. The New Republic wrote about the sad moment in 2014:

“In the end, the men had their way. They not only banned women from speaking but grouped the women…