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Rare colour images from Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech to an estimated 250,000 people during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. 

Organized by A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin, the march to Washington, DC, was one of the largest demonstrations in US history. Its purpose was to advocate for the civil and economic rights of Black Americans following centuries of racism, discrimination, and segregation. The event featured speeches and musical performances from other prominent figures like Bob Dylan and future congressional representative John Lewis. But it was King’s closing address that would go down in history as one of the most iconic speeches ever given.

A general view of the crowd holding signs during the March on Washington.
© Bettmann Archive / Getty Images

Though the 1963 march is remembered as one of the greatest moments of the civil rights movement, it was primarily captured by photojournalists in black and white. But surely color film existed at that point, so why didn’t photographers use color to capture this important day? 

David Campany, curator at large for the International Center of Photography, told BuzzFeed News that while weekly magazines often printed color photographs in the early 1960s, newspapers did not.

Attendees of the March on Washington gather around the Lincoln Memorial.
© Bettmann Archive / Getty Images
Attendees of the March on Washington are pictured with solemn faces.
© Bettmann Archive / Getty Images
Mahalia Jackson sings on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, on August 28, 1963. Sitting at lower right is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. / © Bob Parent / Getty Images
A general view of the large crowd around the Washington Monument and reflecting pool.
© Bob Parent / Getty Images
READ ALSO: The long speech Martin Luther King gave a night before his assassination

“Many photographers were shooting both color and black & white, but very often their color work wasn’t used,” Campany said in an email. Rediscovered color images of moments like the March on Washington can help those historic events “feel relevant and contemporary,” he said.

The left photo shows a yellow bus with a sign saying "March on Washington Charles Country, Maryland." The right photo shows people resting on benches during the March on Washington.
© Bob Parent / Getty Images
Attendees of the March on Washington walk with signs supporting equal rights.
© Bettmann Archive / Getty Images
Attendees of the March on Washington gather near the Washington Monument.
© Associated Press
Attendees of the March on Washington crowd around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
© Associated Press
Attendees of the March on Washington.
© Bob Parent / Getty Images

Source: Buzzfeed

READ ALSO: 12 great movies to watch on Martin Luther King Jr.

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