Youth March for Integrated Schools (1958) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Youth March for Integrated Schools |
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| Part of the Civil Rights Movement | |
| Date | October 25, 1958 |
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The Youth March for Integrated Schools happened in 1958. It was the first of two big marches for young people in Washington, D.C.. The second march took place the next year.
On October 25, 1958, about 10,000 young people gathered. Most were high school or college students. They marched to the Lincoln Memorial to support ending segregation in American public schools. Segregation meant keeping Black and white students separate. This was unfair and caused discrimination, treating people differently because of their race.
A committee led by A. Philip Randolph organized the march. He was a very important leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Randolph explained that the main goal was to show that every child has a right to an education. This right should be free from segregation and discrimination.
The march organizers wanted a group to meet with President Eisenhower. This group included Harry Belafonte and students. They hoped to talk about ending school segregation. However, the meeting did not happen.
Why Young People Marched for Equal Schools
The Youth March for Integrated Schools was a big event. It showed how important it was to end segregation. This march was part of the larger Civil Rights Movement. This movement worked to gain equal rights for all Americans.
The march happened because schools were still segregated in many places. This was true even after the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. That ruling said separate schools for Black and white students were against the law. But some states used "massive resistance" to stop schools from integrating. This meant they tried hard to keep schools segregated. The young people marched to protest this unfairness.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s Message of Support
Martin Luther King Jr. was a famous civil rights leader. He was supposed to speak at the march. But he was recovering from a serious injury and could not attend.
Even though he couldn't be there, King sent a message. He said the march would give "courage, support and encouragement" to children and adults in the South. He also believed it would have a strong positive effect on the nation and how the world viewed America. His words showed how important the march was for the fight for equality.
See also
- List of protest marches on Washington, D.C.
