USPS 50th Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington

USPS on 23 August 2013 issued a 46¢ stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. It was the third stamp dedicated to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. First day of issue was postmarked with a cancellation from Washington D.C. It was printed by Avery Dennison. Method of printing was photogravure  in sheets of 200 in 10 panes of 20

The March began on a hot August day in the summer of 1963, over 250,000 demonstrators filled the nation’s capital with one goal in mind – racial equality.

 Tensions ran high during the 1960s as segregation and violence against African Americans were spreading unchecked in the South. Civil rights demonstrations calling for equality swept the nation. The most famous was the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

The march was organised by the “Big Six” – civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King, Jr., A. Philip Randolph, and John Lewis. Among the stated goals of the day were: passing civil rights legislation, ending segregation in schools, protecting against police brutality, and increasing access to jobs.

Several popular entertainers also turned out to perform in support of the cause, including Marian Anderson, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan. The most noted event of the day was the “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The largest demonstration ever held in the nation’s capital up to that time, the March on Washington was widely televised and gained national attention. It was largely responsible for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This major success was a crucial step in granting the equal rights Americans enjoy today.