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Playlist: March on Washington

Compiled By: PRX Editors

Curated Playlist

This August, celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington.
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place August 28, 1963.

The Unghosting of Medgar Evers

From WUKY | 59:00

A look at one of the turning points of the Civil Rights struggle 50 years later: the assassination of Medgar Evers. With poetry by Frank X. Walker, music of 1963 and historical accounts.

Unghost_small 2013 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Assassination of Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers by Byron De La Beckwith.  We'll examine this critical time in the Civil Rights movement with poems from Turn Me Loose:  The Unghosting of Medgar Evers by Frank X. Walker.  You'll also hear historical accounts of the time, as well as music from 1963.

Frank X. Walker is Professor of English at the University of Kentucky, and the Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the first African-American to hold the position.  His collection of poems is published by University of Georgia Press.  Walker takes on the persona of each of the major players in the incident when reading the poems.  Since Walker used period-correct speech of the time, there is use of the N-word in the second part of the show, listener discretion is advised.

Historical context is provided by Dr. Everett McCorvey, head of the University of Kentucky Opera Department, who is a native of Montgomery, Alabama.  He was a child during the most hectic years of the Civil Right movement, and has first-hand recollections of what happened.  Dr. Gerald Smith is Professor of History at the University of Kentucky, and provides an historic background of the major players in this incident.

The show is hosted and produced by DeBraun Thomas for WUKY. Funding for this program comes from the University of Kentucky's College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Fine Arts.  More information about the materials used in the show can be found at http://www.wuky.org/evers

Moments of the Movement (Series)

Produced by New Visions, New Voices

Highlights from the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s (NMAAHC) Civil Rights History Project, a joint effort of the Library of Congress and NMAAHC to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of individuals—many who are unheralded—who participated in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s and 1960s.

Most recent piece in this series:

William Anderson

From New Visions, New Voices | Part of the Moments of the Movement series | 03:29

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As much as the Civil Rights Movement was driven by the men and women who boldly took steps toward change, it was clear that not much could be done without well-run organizations taking the lead. Americus, Ga., native Dr. William Anderson founded the Albany Movement in Georgia in 1961 in an effort to forge a broad-based coalition for change. In the process, he not only brought together thousands of local citizens, but caught the attention of national leaders, including Ralph Abernathy and Martin Luther King Jr.

:30 PROMO

AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON, (YOUR STATION HERE) PRESENTS THE NEW SERIES, MOMENTS OF THE MOVEMENT. THESE VIGNETTES FEATURE INTERVIEWS WITH KEY CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS AND PARTICIPANTS, MANY OF WHOM, UNTIL NOW, HAVE NEVER BEEN GIVEN THE SPOTLIGHT THEY DESERVE.  TUNE IN TO HEAR THESE INSPIRING PERSONAL STORIES. BROUGHT TO YOU BY NEW VISIONS, NEW VOICES; THE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE; AND (YOUR STATION HERE). 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.- I Have a Dream

From Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | Part of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr- a Rewind series series | 55:00

In the third of six programs that honour Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the speech that brought him to national attention- I Have a Dream. Also, the first of five half hour lectures that Dr. King gave on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in late 1967.

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In the third of six programs that honour Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, the speech that brought him to national attention- I Have  Dream.  It was August 1963, and the occasion was the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. There were more than two hundred thousand people in the crowd and the speech galvanized, heartened and stirred them. But its impact went far beyond the people who were there that day- it is considered one of the greatest speeches in history. Also, the first of five half hour lectures called "Conscience for Change" that Dr. King gave on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in late 1967.  

All Mixed Up with Martin Luther King Jr.

From Peter Bochan | Part of the All Mixed Up series | 58:43

A Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr and the historic March on Washington that took place 50 years ago this August with new mixes featuring Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Ingrid Michaelson, Eleanor Roosevelt and a children's choir from Newtown on "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

Mlk_washington_1963_small Join Martin Luther King Jr on "A Shortcut Back to Washington 1963" with the voices, sounds and music that was popular as activists marched on Washington, including Mahalia jackson, "Little" Stevie Wonder, the Rooftop Singers, JFK, Walter Cronkite, the Four Seasons, Peter, Paul & Mary , Pete Seeger and 4th Grade Students from the Hudson Valley, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole blended with Eleanor Roosevelt, Ingrid Michaelson featuring students from Newtown, John Lennon and the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir, John & Yoko (Africa Mix) [feat. Rokia Traore], Moodswings and much more

Say it Loud: Great Speeches on Civil Rights and African American Identity

From American Public Media | Part of the American RadioWorks: Black History series | 59:00

"Say It Loud" traces the last 50 years of black history through stirring, historically important speeches by African Americans from across the political spectrum. With recordings unearthed from libraries and sound archives, and made widely available here for the first time, "Say It Loud" includes landmark speeches by Malcolm X, Lorraine Hansberry, Angela Davis, Martin Luther King Jr., Henry Louis Gates, and many others.

Say_it_loud_prx_small Say It Loud traces the last 50 years of black history through stirring, historically important speeches by African Americans from across the political spectrum. The documentary illuminates tidal changes in African American political power and questions of black identity through the speeches of deeply influential black Americans. With recordings unearthed from libraries and sound archives, and made widely available here for the first time, Say It Loud includes landmark speeches by Malcolm X, Angela Davis, Martin Luther King Jr., James Cone, Toni Morrison, Colin Powell, and many others.

Bringing the rich immediacy of the spoken word to a vital historical and intellectual tradition, Say It Loud reveals the diversity of ideas and arguments pulsing through the black freedom movement. Say it Loud is a sequel to the American RadioWorks documentary, Say it Plain. A companion book and CD set, Say It Loud: Great Speeches on Civil Rights and African American Identity, is now available from The New Press.

Equal Time: The Networks and the Civil Rights Movement

From With Good Reason | Part of the With Good Reason: Weekly Half Hour Long Episodes series | 28:58

How the evening news shaped attitudes about race relations during the Civil Rights Movement.

Selma_small Aniko Bodroghkozy is the author of the new book Equal Time: Television and the Civil Rights Movement which explores how the newly created evening news shows shaped attitudes about race relations during the Civil Rights Movement. She investigates the network news treatment of events including the 1965 Selma voting rights campaign, integration riots at the University of Mississippi, and the March on Washington.  Also featured: Stephen Alcorn is the illustrator of the children’s book Odetta: The Queen of Folk, which tells the story of the legendary singer and social activist known as “the Voice of the Civil Rights Movement.” The book follows her renowned career and her influence on many of the most important singers of the folk revival of the 1960s.

The '63 March: Going to D.C.

From WGBH Radio Boston | 07:03

This is the first in a five-part radio series focusing on the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The leaders demanded an end to segregation and employment discrimination.

March_small Before there was an historic march on Washington for civil rights, there were tumultuous events leading up to it, including a civil rights movement that felt frustrated by the inaction of political leaders in Washington D.C. Using materials from the WGBH Radio archives, this is the first of a five-part series produced by Phillip Martin in Boston focusing on the leaders of the 1963 March and how they reached consensus on the political demands for the gathering and who would be their spokespeople. Planning for the protest was complicated and politically risky for civil rights organizers as they wanted action from Washington leaders who feared the march would spark violence.

Remembering "I Have a Dream"

From Rebecca Sheir | 05:41

We know what history books say about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech - but what about the people who were there?

_01 Rebecca Sheir talks with Washington, D.C., locals -- including the now-late activist/politician/professor Julian Bond -- about how it felt watching Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, live, at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963.

The Other Half Had a Dream Too

From KSFR | Part of the Equal Time with Martha Burk series | 02:30

The historic 1963 March on Washington with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech featured a number of other speakers -- all male. Organizers refused to allow women to speak.

Podcastphoto_small Though women worked as hard as men in the civil rights movement, they were very often made invisible.  At its core the movement was about the personhood of black men.  Indeed, "I AM A MAN" was often seen on placards, and is an enduring image of the era. Women were blocked from recognition at the March on Washington rally, not allowed to speak nor to attend a meeting at the White House. It's time these women were written back into history.

A Letter, A March, A Dream: 1963 Retold

From Making Contact | Part of the Making Contact series | 29:00

50 years after the March on Washington, syndicated columnist Reverend Byron Williams makes the case that 1963 was the pivotal year for American culture, but has been overlooked… until now. On this edition, Williams speaks about his book, 1963: The Year of Hope & Hostility

LANGUAGE WARNING: This program contains the word 'nigger' twice at 07:37 and 08:12.

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50 years after the March on Washington, historians are still defining the legacy of the civil rights movement, and of Dr. Martin Luther King.   Syndicated columnist Reverend Byron Williams makes the case that 1963 was the pivotal year for American culture, but has been overlooked… until now.  On this edition, Williams speaks about his book, 1963: The Year of Hope & Hostility

 

The Fierce Urgency of Now: The 1963 March on Washington

From BackStory with the American History Guys | 54:00

August 28th marks the 50th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous speech in front of the Lincoln memorial in Washington, D.C., when, at the close of the March on Washington, he spoke of his dream for racial harmony and economic equality in America. This special episode of BackStory places the march, and King's speech, in a broader, and deeper historical perspective.

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Ed, Peter, and Brian will explore the roots of the March on Washington in radical labor politics in the 1940s, and look even further back to the Emancipation Proclamation – the 100th  anniversary of which the march was timed to coincide with. With guests who helped organize or attended the march, they’ll consider the anxieties felt by many in Washington in the days leading up to it, and get personal perspectives on the events and impact of the day. And they’ll reflect on that impact in the long-run. Have we achieved the marchers’ aims for “jobs and freedom,” or has the economic part faded from view? What impact has Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech had on race relations in the United States? Is King’s plea for action in the “fierce urgency of now” as necessary today as it was 50 years ago?  This special episode of BackStory offers a distinctive perspective on this critical moment in American history.

Guests include:

  • David Blight, Yale University, on the continuing impact of the Civil War, shaping the context in which the march took place.
  • William P. Jones, University of Wisconsin–Madison, on the campaign against employment discrimination in the 1940s, which led to early calls to march.
  • Tom Jackson, University of North Carolina–Greensboro, on the Kennedy administration’s efforts to manage the march. 
  • Aniko Bodroghkozy, University of Virginia, on the television coverage of the Civil Rights movement, and the march itself.
  • Hank Thomas, veteran freedom rider, and a security marshal at the march.