A peaceful movement, a violent response

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

The Civil Rights movement leader spoke of peaceful protest, but also reminded Americans that enacting real change required taking a strong stand:

Many of those in attendance that day in Washington, D.C., had already met violent resistance. And many more would experience such moments before King's dreams became — in most cases — a reality.

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Here, we look back at a struggle that was at times violent — and hope for a time in the future when such instances are once and for all truly a thing of the past.