Thousands of people descended on the National Mall on Wednesday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous "I Have a Dream" speech. The crowd gathered in the nation’s capital even in heavy rain waving signs that read “The new Jim Crow must go” and “50 years later still fighting to vote.” Nearly five hours of speeches are planned to mark the event, including appearances by Oprah Winfrey, President Barack Obama, and former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. Rep. John Lewis, a Democrat from Georgia who is the only surviving speaker from the 1963 march, is also scheduled to speak.
