The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 1963. Martin Luther King Jr., standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial, delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech advocating racial harmony during the march. The event was organized by a coalition of civil rights, labor, and religious organizations. The event is credited with pushing lawmakers to pass the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965).