No Easy Walk (1961-1963)

The Civil Rights Movement discovers the power of mass demonstrations as the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. emerges as its most visible leader. Some demonstrations succeed; others fail. But the triumphant March on Washington, D.C., under King’s leadership shows mounting national support for civil rights. President John F. Kennedy proposes the Civil Rights Act.

Reverend Andrew Young tells the story of the moment that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. showed his “true leadership.” It began in Birmingham, Alabama where King, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLDC) and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights led a campaign of protests. From Eyes on the Prize: No Easy Walk (1961-1963).

"We want our freedom and we want it now." An excerpt of John Lewis's speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. From Eyes on the Prize: No Easy Walk (1961-1963).

An extended excerpt of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s “I Have a Dream” at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. From Eyes on the Prize: No Easy Walk (1961-1963).