On April 29, 1968, the Poor People’s Campaign officially began when Dr. Ralph Abernathy, who succeeded Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), led a diverse delegation to Capitol Hill. Representing poor whites, African Americans, Native Americans, and Spanish-speaking Americans, the group met with congressional leaders and cabinet officials to demand economic justice, jobs, and fair housing. This marked a major step in the multiracial campaign Dr. King had envisioned before his assassination, calling attention to the structural poverty affecting millions of Americans—regardless of race.

Martin Luther King, Jr. announced plans for Poor People’s Campaign in Washington. He said he would lead a massive civil disobedience campaign in the capital to pressure the government to provide jobs and income for all Americans.