WASHINGTON — Thousands of people are arriving this weekend for the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. Many are talking about how far we’ve come as a nation. The hypothetical is this – if Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. were to see America today, what would he say about its progress? Civil Rights historian Taylor Branch says it’s not a straightforward answer.

“I think that he would be thrilled by the progress on many fronts — liberation and freedom for women, for black people, a black middle class, let alone a black President of the United States,” Branch says. But he believes King would be disappointed by partisan gridlock that makes it difficult to talk about race.

WTOP.com has a weekend guide of March on Washington events and reflections ahead of the march.

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