The photograph shows a speaker in profile at the lectern with multiple microphones; his gaze is directed toward the audience. The National Mall is filled to the horizon with a densely packed crowd occupying the entire open space before the Washington Monument. The Washington Monument is clearly visible as a distinctive vertical form in the upper third of the image; flags are positioned on the surrounding grounds. The photograph documents the scale of the gathering at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, in which hundreds of thousands of people participated. The rally on the National Mall was the culmination of the march and the venue for several speeches that articulated the civil rights movement’s demands for equality and employment. The perspective from behind the lectern illustrates the sheer size of the assembly as a central element of peaceful mass protest.