"At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington"

February 2013

Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and contributions to U.S. society of African Americans.

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) has selected "At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington" as the 2013 theme for Black History Month.

On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation set the United States on the path of ending slavery. A wartime measure issued by President Abraham Lincoln, the proclamation freed relatively few slaves, but it fueled the fire of the enslaved to strike for their freedom.

In 1963, a century later, America once again stood at the crossroads. Nine years earlier, the U.S. Supreme Court had outlawed racial segregation in public schools, but the nation had not yet committed itself to equality of citizenship. On August 28, 1963, hundreds of thousands of Americans marched to the memorial of Abraham Lincoln, the author of the Emancipation Proclamation, in the continuing pursuit of equality of citizenship and self-determination. It was on this occasion that Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his celebrated "I Have a Dream" speech. Just as the Emancipation Proclamation had recognized the coming end of slavery, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom announced that the days of legal segregation in the United States were numbered.

Materials on U.S. Civil Rights and the March on Washington

Articles:
Music Inspired Courage During Civil Rights Era
Martin Luther King's Words Still Inspire Debate
Before Occupy Movement, the Poor People's Campaign
Dedicating the King Memorial
Thousands Gather to Dedicate King Memorial
Photo Gallery
The U.S. Civil Rights Movement
The Life and Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
In Brief:
Memorial Honors Life of Martin Luther King Jr.
Continuing the Work of Martin Luther King Jr.
Singing for Freedom
Video of Freedom Singers at White House
Remarks by President at Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement
Materials on African-American Female Changemakers
eJournal USA: Making Their Mark: Black Women Leaders
Articles:
Entrepreneur Engineers Her Own Success
Remembering "Extra Special" Space Shuttle Flight
Ursula Burns' Path to Success in the Fortune 500
Michelle Obama Presents Modern Image for Black Women
Little Rock Nine Member and Daughter Relive Struggle, Victory
The Immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks
African-American Sumayya Ali a Rising Opera Star
Actress Jurnee Smollett: HIV/AIDS Activist
Photo Galleries:
A New Generation of Black Women Leaders
Visionaries: African Americans Tell Their Stories
Resources

Association for the Study of African American Life and History

The ASALH Bookshelf showcases the work, scholarly and popular, of ASALH members on the xperiences of Africans and peoples of the African Diaspora. If the book is currently available online via the ASALH Store or Amazon.com, they will make every attempt to include it on the Bookshelf.

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Biography.com Black History Videos

History.com March on Washington Video

For English Language Learners ECA Publications

Martin Luther King Jr. Day - a 6-page booklet about the life of Martin Luther King