What was the March on Washington and what did it accomplish?

The March on Washington was a mass protest organized by A. Philip Randolph to try to force the federal government to end discrimination in the military and in employment in war industries. As the march date of July 1, 1941, approached, the number of potential participants grew rapidly. Despite administration pressure, Randolph refused to back down. In the end, the march was called off, but only after Roosevelt signed an executive order banning discrimination in defense industries and creating the Fair Employment Practices Committee.