Updated Aug 28, 2023 - Politics & Policy

In photos: A look back at the March on Washington in 1963

Sareen Habeshian

Crowds gather at the National Mall during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom political rally in Washington, DC on August 28, 1963. Photo: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Monday marks the 60th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, where nearly a quarter million people gathered to bring attention to voting rights and police brutality — issues the nation continues to grapple with today.

The big picture: The commemoration comes amid ongoing fears that the nation is regressing on racial equity and voting rights, even as the country becomes more diverse, Axios' Keldy Ortiz writes.

President Biden meets with organizers of the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, including The Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III, his wife Arndrea Waters King in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on August 28, 2023 in Washington, DC. — President Biden meets with organizers of the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III, his wife, Arndrea Waters King, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on August 28, 2023 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Driving the news: President Biden spoke Monday evening at a commemoration of the founding of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

"We're at an inflection point in history, not just United States, but in the world," Biden said. "This is our charge: keep pushing, keep going, set the record straight. I know we can," he added, quoting John Lewis, the youngest speaker at the March on Washington who later served in the House of Representatives.

Flashback: The March on Washington and King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech

Martin Luther King Jr. gives his "I Have a Dream" speech to a crowd before the Lincoln Memorial during the Freedom March in Washington, DC, on Aug. 28, 1963. Photo: Getty Images

Crowds of demonstrators at the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. Photo: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

People gather around the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. Photo: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Protesters at the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. Photo: Marion S. Trikosko/Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Leaders of the March on Washington lock arms as they move along Constitution Avenue on Aug. 28, 1963. A. Philip Randolph, march director, is at right, and Roy Wilkins, Executive Secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), is second from right. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., is seventh from right. Photo: Getty Images

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King waves to supporters at the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. Photo:AFP via Getty Images

Go deeper: Biden decries Jacksonville shooting: "White supremacy has no place" in U.S.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from President Biden and a photo of his meeting with organizers of the March on Washington.