Library of Congress Presents “A Day Like No Other”

Library of Congress Commemorates March on Washington

Photo after photo, the Library of Congress' new exhibit will take visitors back to Aug. 28, 1963 -- the day of the March on Washington. 

"A Day Like No Other" opens Wednesday and features 42 black-and-white photographs taken on that day.

The pictures were compiled using old newspapers and other media outlets like the Associated Press, the New York World-Telegram and more. Bob Adelman and Flip Schulke, who are well known for their coverage of the civil rights movement, also contributed to the collection.

The Library of Congress isn't the only D.C. museum featuring exhibits on the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

Several museums and cultural organizations have organized artifacts and art exhibits for visitors to learn about the march, the nation's conflict over civil rights and the tumult leading up to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream'' speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Here are highlights from other programs and exhibits on view in Washington for the anniversary:

  • National Museum of American History: The "Changing America'' gallery explores the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, along with the March on Washington 100 years later. It includes artifacts and placards from the march. The museum also will host short performances near its display of part of the Greensboro, N.C., lunch counter, allowing visitors to take part in a training session for a sit-in based on a 1960s manual. On Aug. 28, the march anniversary, the museum will show footage of the historic march and host public programs to allow visitors to share their thoughts and memories.
  • National Portrait Gallery: The new exhibit "One Life: Martin Luther King Jr.'' includes historic photographs, prints, paintings and memorabilia showing King's rise to prominence as a civil rights leader in the South, leading up to his memorable speech in Washington.
  • Civil Rights Tour: The African American Civil War Museum has organized a tour of Washington's Civil War and Civil Rights sites to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the war and the 50th anniversary of the march. It includes a tour of U Street, once known as the "Black Broadway," and a stop at the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
  • National Museum of Women in the Arts: The exhibit "American People, Black Light: Faith Ringgold's Paintings of the 1960s'' explores this prominent black artist's portrayal of racial inequality in the 1960s.
  • Washington National Cathedral: The National Cathedral will host a special forum on Aug. 25 featuring audio excerpts from King's last Sunday sermon delivered at the church in 1968. The cathedral and other churches also will ring their bells at the moment of King's "Dream'' speech on Aug. 28 at 3 p.m. to honor the anniversary.
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