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Waukesha woman remembers MLK march on Washington
Waukesha woman remembers MLK march on Washington
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Heralding the long fight toward racial equality that many say hasn't ended, marchers on the National Mall on Wednesday -- including President Barack Obama -- commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. The anniversary of the march on Washington brings back a lot of memories -- especially for those who were there.
During the summer of 1963, Mary Sue Short of Waukesha was 21, and was part of an interracial group of students who went to Nashville to register African-Americans to vote.
"Some of my friends from the project and I were arrested during that time because we were an interracial group in a car at night, and certainly that opens your eyes," Short said.
When Short heard about the planned march on Washington, she just had to be there.
"The number of people was just mind-boggling. Just unimaginable. There was an amazing sense of unity. People were so friendly. They were sharing their food. They were just speaking with whomever they met. No one was pushing or shoving," Short said.
Short was so far back in the crowd, she couldn't hear any speeches.
"It didn't matter because we were there to show support for the purpose of the march," Short said.
Short did hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I have a dream" speech later.
"I think it was very representative of how people in the movement felt about the movement because it was absolutely deep in everyone's heart," Short said.
Short left Washington and finished school in Oregon. Then, she joined the Freedom Summer movement, working in Mississippi around the time three civil rights workers went missing and were later discovered murdered.
While in Shaw, Mississippi, Mary Sue met Eddie Short, who was also in the movement. They married more than 40 years ago.
Eddie Short has his own dream.
"The young people will realize that each one counts, and that's the way that they came up with the 250,000 -- was one plus one and one and one and one," Eddie Short said.
Eddie Short says young people should realize they can change the world for the better.