Address at the Youth March for Integrated Schools
On April 18, 1959, King and other religious and civil rights leaders addressed a group of approximately 26,000 marchers in Washington, D.C., who were demonstrating for the desegregation of schools. The participants had marched down the National Mall to the Sylvan Theatre, where the program was held.
Noting that a large percentage of the crowd was students, King urged them to be a diligent in pursuing civil rights as in pursuing a career. “Whatever career you may choose for yourself—doctor, lawyer, teacher—let me propose an avocation to be pursued along with it,” he said. “Become a dedicated fighter for civil rights. Make it a central part of your life.”
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