The National Memo

Birmingham 1963

President Kennedy Initially Resisted The Idea

Unions And A Gay Man Played Key Roles

John Lewis, The Youngest Speaker At The Event, Was Forced To Revise His Speech

(See video at the above link.)

Women Were Barely Represented

Martin Luther King Improvised The “I Have A Dream” Speech

When you watch Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech from the March on Washington, it’s almost shocking how slowly he begins, plodding along as the crowd cheers him, trying to summon prophecy.

Then several minutes in, gospel legend Mahalia Jackson plays a crucial role in inspiring the man behind the podium that only one woman had been allowed to speak from.

“He was just reading, and she just shouted to him, ‘Tell them about the dream, Martin. Tell them about the dream,’”said Clarence Jones, an advisor to King who had helped write King’s speech. “I was standing about…