March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom Fiftieth Anniversary Programs

Sponsored by Oregon Humanities 

Noon: Screening of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech

Join OHS and community members for a viewing of Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, given at the March at approximately 3 PM ET. After the viewing, Emmett Wheatfall, one of Portland’s premier poets, will offer his thoughts on the significance and meaning of Dr. King’s speech. For more than 30 years, Mr. Wheatfall has given dramatic readings of this important American voice and historic civil rights message.

7 PM: Teach-In on the Voting Rights Act

The 1965 Voting Rights Act was one piece of monumental legislation pushed forward, in large part, by the 1963 March on Washington. A recent Supreme Court decision renders invalid a significant portion of the act. Dr. Carmen Thompson, professor of history at Portland Community College, will moderate a discussion with Melissa Aubin, Attorney Advisor, US District Court for the District of Oregon, and Dr. Rev. LeRoy Haynes, Senior Pastor at Allen Temple CME and a veteran of the movement. Local organizations have been invited to inform attendees about how they are responding to the Supreme Court decision. Doors open at 6 PM — tour Windows on America to view an official copy of the 13th Amendment. These programs were made possible in part by a grant from Oregon Humanities (OH), a statewide nonprofit organization and an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which funds OH’s grant program.