[Civil rights advocate, entertainer, and heroine of the French Resistance against the Nazi occupation, Josephine Baker is one of the few women allowed to briefly address the Marchers immediately before Dr King gave his famous I Have a Dream address.]
I want you to know that this is the happiest day of my entire life. And as you all must know, I have had a very long life and I'm sixty years old. The results today of seeing you all together is a sight for sore eyes. You're together as salt and pepper just as you should be. Just as I've always wanted you to be and peoples of the world have always wanted you to be. You are a united people at last because without unity there cannot be any victory.
You see, I'm glad. I'm glad that in my homeland, in my homeland where I was born in love and respect, I'm glad to see this day come to pass. This day, because you are on the eve of complete victory, and tomorrow, time will do the rest.
I want you to know also how proud I am to be here today, and after so many long years of struggle fighting here and elsewhere for your rights, our rights, the rights of humanity, the rights of man, I'm glad that you have accepted me to come. I didn't ask you. I didn't have to. I just came because it was my duty and I'm going to say again you are on the eve of complete victory.
Continue on. You can't go wrong. The world is behind you
See The March on Washington for
background & more information.
Copyright © Josephine Baker, 1963.
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