The photograph shows demonstrators in a dense crowd at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. In the foreground are a man wearing dark sunglasses and a woman in a sleeveless striped dress, both looking in the same direction with calm, serious expressions on their faces. The close-up conveys the concentration and determination of the participants. In the background, more people press together; tree crowns and bright sky suggest the backdrop of the National Mall or the area at the Lincoln Memorial. The photograph exemplifies the broad participation of African American citizens in this central event of the U.S. civil rights movement.