Youth March of Integrated Schools in Washington, D.C., October 25, 1958

The black and white photograph depicts a racially diverse group of women and children protesting for integrated schools.

Courtesy of National Archives, "Youth March for Integrated Schools," 25 October 1958

Description

This photograph, taken October 25, 1958, depicts the first of two marches in Washington, D.C., with the goal of highlighting the efforts to end racially-segregated schools four years after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. In August 1958, a small committee headed by labor leader A. Philip Randolph began organizing the first Youth March for Integrated Schools, and on the day of the protest, 10,000 people marched down Constitution Avenue to the Lincoln Memorial. A second march occurred on April 18, 1959, with an estimated 26,000 participants taking part.

Source-Dependent Questions

Compare the use of children in this protest to the use of children in the Children’s Crusade for Amnesty image. What are similarities in the image? How are both groups trying to sway public opinion to their cause?
Consider the picket sign that reads "Negro, White, Christian." Why were integrated protests important to swaying public opinion? Why did the protestors feel it was necessary to highlight the integrated nature of the protest?
In this image and in the crusade for the release of political prisoners, both causes tried to gain attention for events that had been issues for years. Why did children bring renewed attention to the issue?

Citation Information

"Youth March for Integrated Schools," 25 October 1958. Courtesy of National Archives