March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

Hello, my name is Martin. I had a big, important idea. A long time ago, some rules were not very kind. They were unfair. Some people couldn't go to the same schools or play in the same parks just because of the color of their skin. That made me feel sad. I thought everyone should be friends. I believed that everyone, no matter what they looked like, should be treated with kindness and love. My big idea was that we could all live together happily, like one big family.

So, on a sunny day, August 28th, 1963, I invited all my friends to come for a special walk. And oh, so many people came. They came from all over the country to a big city called Washington, D.C. There were moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, and lots of children, too. Some people had white skin, and some people had Black skin, and we all smiled and walked together holding hands. We sang happy songs about freedom and friendship as we walked. We started at a very tall, pointy building called the Washington Monument and walked all the way to a giant chair with a statue of a kind president, Abraham Lincoln. It was a wonderful, peaceful parade to show everyone that we wanted fairness for all people.

When we got to the big statue, I stood up to talk to all of our friends. I told them about my dream. I said, 'I have a dream that one day, little Black children and little white children will be able to join hands and play together like brothers and sisters.' I dreamed of a world where everyone was judged by how kind they were, not by the color of their skin. Our peaceful walk helped change the unfair rules. And you can help, too, by always being a kind friend to everyone you meet.