The photograph shows a woman wearing a broad straw hat speaking at a lectern equipped with multiple microphones. The image title identifies her as Marian Anderson, the renowned concert singer whose performance at the March on Washington in 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial was programmatic. In the background, a densely packed crowd of men and women is visible, some in light summer clothing, some in dark suits. The photograph was taken during the rally at the Lincoln Memorial, the central gathering place of the march. The March on Washington on August 28, 1963 assembled hundreds of thousands who demonstrated publicly for civil rights and equal economic participation.