Washingtonian Lela Harris, 47, and her daughter, Nicole Allicock, 17, couldn't spend the entire day at the March on Washington because of a school event. But it was important to them to witness at least part of the historic day.

"Today means continuing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the people who worked with him, and I think we have as many issues if not more," said Harris, who works at the Environmental Protection Agency. "It may not be as oppressive as it was back then, but because it's institutional racism and it's hidden and harder to fight, we still have a way to go before we reach justice and equality."

Nicole said she wanted to be there because it gave her an opportunity to "walk wheremy forefathers marched and really experiencing what they did on that day in 1963."

She also said she's looking forward to the day when she's old enough to be active in the civil rights movement. Like many her age about now, she's anxious about college applications and acceptances, but unclear as the future may seem, Nicole is still thinking ahead.

"I definitely want to go to law school and maybe become a lobbyist and fight for the important issues," she said.

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