King's legacy continues after 50 years

Fifty years ago today, a 34-year-old minister stood in front of a crowd of hundreds of thousands. He mobilized a movement and gave a face to the issue of segregation. He spoke of a dream in which no one would be judged by the color of their skin.   

And he was not alone.

Whether they organized the rally, or watched the speeches from living rooms in Indiana, millions of Americans joined the march and shook the nation. They marched for economic and social equality — a new era for African-Americans.

As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that day, “1963 is not the end but the beginning.” Half a century later, the nation’s first black president stood on those same steps commemorating the momentous speech and rally.

In marking the event, we honor the marched, and those who continue to march for King’s dream.

— Samantha Schmidt