OCPL to commemorate the March on Washington

August 28, 2013 marks the 50^th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Probably best remembered for the keynote speech given by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the “I Have a Dream” speech, this march was coordinated as a way of bringing national and international attention to the Civil Rights movement, and the economic issues of the day, and to put some pressure on the Kennedy administration to pass civil rights legislation. The march was organized by a group of civil rights, labor, and religious organizations, under the theme “jobs, and freedom.” Estimates of the number of participants varied from 200,000 to 300,000. Observers estimated that 75–80% of the marchers were black and the rest were white and non-black minorities. The march is widely credited with helping to pass the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965). The Oconee County Public Library commemorates the 50^th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom with a program at the Seneca Library on August 27 at 6:30pm. Gail Johnson of Seneca, who actually attended the event, will participate in a moderated discussion followed by a question and answer session with the audience. Johnson graduated from Seneca High School and Palmer College, and spent her career working in computers for government contractors and for Clemson University, as well as working for Clemson University’s Career Center. She is a member of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Seneca.