To March or Not to March?

1. To March or Not to March? March on Washington Handbill Division of Politics and Reform National Museum of American History http://historyexplorer.americanhistory.si.edu/artifacts/resource.asp?id=338

2. Take on a Role Each student will take on the role of a fictional “everyday American” from the 1960’s. See your “Take on a Role” handout for more details.

3. Take a close look at this document. According to this document… • What are the problems? Whose problems are they? • What are the solutions? • How should you act to make the solutions into reality?

4. Click on portions of this document to check your answers and consider follow-up questions. What are the problems? Whose problems are they? How should you act to make the solutions into reality? What are the solutions? What will you do? Vote here

5. What are the problems?Whose problems are they? The flier says the problems are “denied freedom” and “unemployed” citizens. The flier says the problems effect “millions of Negroes”, along with “millions of unemployed black and white citizens.” Could the people who wrote this flier be exaggerating to get more people interested? Go back to the document

6. What are the solutions? The solutions Dr. King and others demanded are written out as bullets. Which demands are solutions for “denied freedom”? Which are solutions for “unemployed” citizens? If each of the demands written out here were met by the government, who would benefit? Can you think of other solutions that might solve the problems of “denied freedom” and “unemployed” citizens? Go back to the document

7. How should you act to make the solutions into reality? This is a flier for the March on Washington. Is this the march the only way to make these solutions into reality? Can you think of other ways to bring attention to the problems and demands? What might happen to you if you go to the March on Washington? Would other people be happy with you or disappointed in you? Go back to the document

8. Vote: To march or not to march