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Reading Comprehension Worksheets
Black History and Blacks in U.S. History
The 1960's
The March on Washington

Black History and Blacks in U.S. History
Black History and Blacks in U.S. History

The March on Washington
Print The March on Washington Reading Comprehension with Sixth Grade Work

Print The March on Washington Reading Comprehension


Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 6 to 8
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   6.77

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    backer, Blowin, unemployment, Sit-ins, economic, coalition, converge, wage, groundwork, union, presented, military, plight, civil, porters, strains
     content words:    Philip Randolph, United States, World War II, President Franklin D., President Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Urban League, National Association, Colored People

The March on Washington
By Jane Runyon 		  
1     The groundwork for the 1963 march on Washington, D.C., was laid much earlier. As a matter of fact, the first plans for such a march were made in 1941. A man named A. Philip Randolph was the president of a union for railroad porters. At one time, railroads were the major transportation systems in the United States. Porters were the people who handled luggage, checked tickets, and took care of the needs of passengers on these trains. Mr. Randolph worried about job security for these porters during and after World War II. He decided to put some pressure on President Franklin D. Roosevelt by calling for a march of workers on the capital of the nation. President Roosevelt signed an order protecting the jobs of black workers before the march could take place.
 
2     In 1962, it was becoming obvious to black leaders that their fight for equal rights was not moving at the pace they wanted to see. Sit-ins, demonstrations, and speeches were bringing attention to their cause. Some states were still not changing. Black leaders wanted their rights as citizens to be equalized. They felt that this would bring economic relief to many of the poor. A. Philip Randolph again suggested a march. In this way the plight of the people would be brought to the attention of the nation.
 
3     The idea was to have a three-day event. A massive group of people would be brought to Washington to lobby and rally for the cause. They would form a coalition from the many different groups who were interested in the rights of Americans. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He and leaders of the Urban League, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) decided to join together in an attempt to persuade Congress and the president to pass a strong civil rights bill.

Paragraphs 4 to 9:
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Black History and Blacks in U.S. History
             Black History and Blacks in U.S. History

The 1960's
             The 1960's

More Lessons
             Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Theme Unit and Printables

United States
             United States


    American Government  
 
    Black History and Blacks in U.S. History  
 
    Children in History  
 
    Government Careers  
 
    Hispanic Heritage  
 
    How Can I Help?  
 
 
    Immigration  
 
    National Parks and Monuments  
 
    Native Americans  
 
    Presidents of the United States  
 
    Women's History  
 

United States History
    A Nation Divided
(1840-1861) 		 
 
    A New Nation
(1776-1830) 		 
 
    After the Civil War
(1865-1870) 		 
 
    American Revolution  
 
    Cold War
(1947-1991) 		 
 
    Colonial America (1492-1776)  
 
    Lewis and Clark
(1804-1806) 		 
 
    Pearl Harbor  
 
    Spanish American War (1898)  
 
    The 1890's  
 
    The 1900's  
 
    The 1910's  
 
    The 1920's  
 
    The 1930's  
 
 
    The 1940's  
 
    The 1950's  
 
    The 1960's  
 
    The 1970's  
 
    The 1980's  
 
    The 1990's  
 
    The 2000's  
 
    The Civil War
(1861-1865) 		 
 
    The Great Depression
(1929-1945) 		 
 
    The United States Grows
(1865-1900) 		 
 
    The War of 1812  
 
    Wild, Wild West  
 
    World War I
(1914-1918) 		 
 
    World War II  
 

50 States

             Fifty States Theme Unit

Document Based Activities
      Document Based Activities



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