Peter Ling
Aug 31, 2023

The memory of the March for most people is now shaped by what was in the edited television broadcasts that are used to replay King's speech. In this way, much of the reality is lost. I remember reading Sammy Davis Jr telling how he and others were warned by Hoover's FBI not to attend because they could not guarantee their safety (he went anyway). There was an American Nazi Party rally scheduled for the same day and rumors that there would be clashes but on the day the Nazis were very few whereas the Freedom Movement was huge. And through it all, the women were crucial.

Peter Ling
Peter Ling

Written by Peter Ling

Historian and biographer but thankfully with a sense of humour. Expert on MLK, JFK, the Civil Rights Movement, and presidential scandals.

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