March On Washington, 50 Years Later.

On August 28, 1963, thousands gathered right here in the capital city of the United States under the shadow of the 16th President and managed to pull off a peaceful, nonviolent political rally that would go down in history as one of the monumental fights for civil rights and freedom. "The Great March on Washington," it was called, and reports say that thousands drove to Washington D.C. from all over the country to protest their rights with much hope. They dreamt of equal opportunities to have a chance at being tested for a job, and of getting equal treatment in public places. I simply cannot imagine the hush and emotional movement in the air as thousands quietly listened to Martin Luther King Jr.'s infamous speech.

50 years later, the celebration of freedom and equal rights continue as people gathered again in Washington D.C. to reenact the march. Although I was stuck at work on the 28th and couldn't be a part of the march, several coworkers and I did get to witness some action the weekend before.

Lots of T-shirt selling, lawn chairs, food trucks, reporters and journalism students, OVERFLOWING trashcans, signs and banners, and lingering Trayvon Martin talks as the nation was faced with such tragedy and some serious questions of justice the past year and a half.

Then there are, of course, the ones that busted out a trumpet in the middle of the day at the top of the Lincoln Memorial and serenaded a bunch of confused Asian tourists. We actually ran into an old tourist couple who had absolutely no idea why the National Mall was so dang packed. Nope, it's not like this every weekend - maybe every 50 years or so. ;)