Randolph, Rustin, and the Origins of the March on Washington: Crash Course Black American History #32

The March on Washington of 1963 is an enduring and widely-known event of the Civil Rights movement. But the March has its roots in an earlier planned March on Washington that didn’t happen. In 1941, labor leader A. Philip Randolph began planning a gathering aimed at many of the same goals as the eventual 1963 March. Today we’ll learn about Randolph, Bayard Rustin, the march they planned, and the movement it inspired. We’ll also talk about how the dream of the 1941 march was ultimately deferred for more than 20 years.

Clint’s book, How the Word is Passed is available now! https://bookshop.org/books/how-the-word-is-passed-a-reckoning-with-the-history-of-slavery-across-america/9780316492935

Sources and References
Cornelius Bynum, A. Phillip Randolph and the Struggle for Civil Rights (University of Illinois Press, 2010).
John D’Emilio, Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin (Free Press, 2003)