Skip to main content
RETURN TO Return to WETA website Donate
Boundary Stones logo

Main navigation

  • Washington, D.C.
  • Maryland
  • Virginia
  • Video
  • About
DC

"The thing that we were most afraid of was the March would be a bust."

08/26/2013 in DC by Ariel Veroske
  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

On the days leading up to the March on Washington, buses from every direction poured into the District of Columbia. Culie Vick Kilimanjaro and her husband John Marshall Kilimanjaro came from Greensboro, North Carolina. As she recalled:

My husband and I were members of the NAACP and we thought that we needed to do something about the race situations. From week to week, we didn’t know what was going to happen. People were being killed because they were trying to do what was right.

All of the details from the March we got through word of mouth. I told my husband that I would like to go to the March. The NAACP and the churches were sponsoring three buses. You had to pay your own way, but that was fine with us.

After finding a babysitter for their three children, the couple hopped on one of the buses leaving from their church. No one knew exactly what lay ahead in Washington. John Marshall, described the atmosphere:

Contrary to the mythology, the early moments of the March- getting there- was no picnic. People were afraid. We didn’t know what we would meet. There was no precedent…Every now and then, people on the bus sang ‘Oh Freedom’ and ‘We Shall Overcome,’ but for the most part, there wasn’t a whole bunch of singing. We were secretly praying that nothing violent happened.

We stopped in Virginia to get some gas. There was no one at the rest stop. We walked around a bit to stretch and saw this big mound of earth- it seemed as if there was some construction or building going on. Several of us decided to climb to the top of this mound…As we got to the top of the mound, the sun was slowly rising, and as we looked out, all we saw were buses, coming from the north, east, west and south. And we knew it was our people. We burst into applause. The thing that we were most afraid of was the March would be a bust.

Upon arriving, the experience was one they would never forget. Over a quarter million people came together on the National Mall. As Culie Vick recalled:

I’ve never seen so many people in one place before in my life. We we’re able to sit down by the Reflecting Pool. It was hot but we were dressed for the occasion. It was great seeing Marian Anderson. When Dr. King spoke, it was like The Lord had spoken. He was really fantastic. I could’ve listened to him speak all day. People were on tree limbs, just enraptured by his words. After he finished speaking, we felt rejuvenated. We felt like we were going to accomplish something.

And accomplish something they did!

Source:

Bass, Patrik Henry Like a Mighty Storm: The March on Washington, August 28, 1963, Philadelphia: Running Press, 2002.

Last Updated:
11/04/2020

About the Author

More posts by Ariel Veroske »
Tags
March on Washington
1960s
Black History
Civil Rights Movement

Share

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

You Might Also Like

  • Julius Hobson Gets Out of the Rat Race

    Julius Hobson Gets Out of the Rat Race

    In 1964, when DC wouldn’t do anything about the rat problem in Shaw, Julius Hobson gave them an ultimatum: fix the problem, or have it in Georgetown.

  • A Place for the Poor: Resurrection City

    A Place for the Poor: Resurrection City

    In 1968, impoverished Americans flocked to DC to live out MLK's final dream: economic equality for all.

  • Wishing in a Fountain: The Protest for more D.C. Pools

    Wishing in a Fountain: The Protest for more D.C. Pools

    In 1966, children swam in the fountain at Columbus Circle to protest their lack of access to swimming pools.

Surprise Me!

Not sure where to start reading? Let us pick a story for you!

Categories

  • DC (561)
  • Maryland (105)
  • Virginia (146)

Latest Posts

How Ethel Barrymore Helped Bring Theater to Olney, Maryland

01/27/2023

How Ethel Barrymore Helped Bring Theater to Olney, Maryland

Metro Mythbusting: Georgetown's Nonexistent Metro Stop

01/20/2023

Metro Mythbusting: Georgetown's Nonexistent Metro Stop

Hulks like Huge Flower Pots: The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay

12/16/2022

Hulks like Huge Flower Pots: The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay

Most Popular

How Ethel Barrymore Helped Bring Theater to Olney, Maryland

01/27/2023

How Ethel Barrymore Helped Bring Theater to Olney, Maryland

The Less-Known Unknown

11/13/2012

The Less-Known Unknown

D.C.'s Own "Brown vs Board"

12/13/2012

D.C.'s Own "Brown vs Board"

Tags

1860s1870s1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990sAlexandriaArlingtonBlack HistoryBygone DCCivil WarGeorgetownMusic HistorySports HistoryWhite HouseWomen's HistoryWorld War IWorld War II
More
Historical D.C. Metro Map
Tweets by BoundaryStones
WETA

Footer menu

  • Support WETA
  • About WETA
  • Press Room
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • RSS
  • Accessibility

Contact Us

  • 3939 Campbell Avenue
    Arlington, VA 22206 | Map
  • 703-998-2600
  • boundarystones@weta.org

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

About Boundary Stones

Boundary Stones explores local history in Washington, D.C., suburban Maryland and northern Virginia. This project is a service of WETA and is supported by contributions from readers like you.

DONATE

Copyright © 2023 WETA. All Rights Reserved.

Bottom Footer

  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Guidelines