Robyn Stevens Brody has a knack for being at the right place at the right time.
A Poplar Hill mother of four and Chizuk Amuno congregant, Brody became an internationally known freelance photographer when her images from the U.S. Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, were seen on such media outlets as CNN, “60 Minutes,” The New York Times, ABC News, MSNBC and The Times of Israel.
“I don’t think I have the skills of other photographers, but I have the eye. My eye separates me from the pack,” Brody, a Baltimore native, said in a 2021 Jmore profile. “I’ve always kept a camera nearby since I got one for a bat mitzvah gift.”
Last Saturday, Aug. 26, Brody put that bat mitzvah gift to good use when joining tens of thousands of people at the Lincoln Memorial in the nation’s capital to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. On Aug. 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before an estimated 250,000 civil rights supporters.
“I would like to believe that I would have marched in 1963, but I wasn’t yet born,” said Brody, 52. “It was important to me to stand in solidarity for racial justice on the 60th Anniversary of MLK’s ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech. I was pleasantly surprised to hear repeatedly that the Jewish community has always been an ally of civil rights, and there was a strong call for an end to antisemitism.
“As a photographer, I have documented several significant historical events,” she said. “To learn that I was photographing several marchers from 1963 was powerful. They shared what it was like for them, and how they will march until there is no need. Shelly was one of the women. She helped me pick out a social justice pin to add to my collection to help commemorate the day. I enjoyed seeing various sports jerseys of athletes who broke barriers and integrated sports. I saw people memorializing victims of racial injustice, not just from before 1963 but as recent as 2023. These collective images will be part of historical accounts of how far we have come, and yet how far we still have to go.”
The nonprofit Drum Major Institute co-hosted Saturday’s five-hour program, which featured dozens of high-profile speakers — including Martin Luther King III, Rev. Al Sharpton, Ambassador Andrew Young, and English-Jewish actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen — addressing the prevalence of racism, hate crimes and speech, police brutality, gun violence and poverty in the United States.
“We always have a choice,” said Cohen, best known for his satirical portrayal of the politically incorrect and fake journalist Borat. “Today as others spread lies, we choose truth. As others stoke conspiracies, we choose facts. As others fuel hate and division, we choose the empathy and the unity that allows us to make progress together, for equality, for decency and for democracy, especially here in the US and A.”
Among the rally’s co-chairing organizations was the Anti-Defamation League. “This is a march that’s not just about equality for Black people or just about fighting hate against Jewish people,” said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “This is about standing up for all people.”
He called on the Black and Jewish communities to “work together and not allow those with ulterior motives to divide us, but instead to focus on the shared experiences and common values that we share with one another.”
Said Brody: “My hope from this historical occasion is that people will take away that their vote matters in upcoming elections, and that voting rights are a right and not a privilege. Many people would be surprised that we have more similarities than differences. Imagine the struggles, injustices, hardships and atrocities people of color have endured and still endure. We all want the same thing — to be heard, for our children to be safe, for equality, an equal education, access to health care, jobs and love.”
Marchers walk from the Lincoln Memorial to the Martin Luther King Monument on the 60th Anniversary of “I Have A Dream Speech”. (Photo by Robyn Stevens Brody) 
Marchers walk from the Lincoln Memorial to the Martin Luther King Monument on the 60th Anniversary of “I Have A Dream Speech”. (Photo by Robyn Stevens Brody) 
A National Council of Jewish Women marcher at the 60th anniversary rally demonstrates the support among Jewish women for racial and social justice. (Photo by Robyn Stevens Brody) 
Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL (wearing the cap), locks arms with the Rev. Al Sharpton as they walk from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the MLK Monument. The King Family is to the left of Rev. Sharpton. (Photo by Robyn Stevens Brody) 
Marchers walk from the Lincoln Memorial to the Martin Luther King Monument on the 60th Anniversary of “I Have A Dream Speech”. (Photo by Robyn Stevens Brody) 
Marchers walk from the Lincoln Memorial to the Martin Luther King Monument on the 60th Anniversary of “I Have A Dream Speech”. (Photo by Robyn Stevens Brody) 
60th Anniversary March ended at the MLK Monument. (Photo by Robyn Stevens Brody) 
60th Anniversary March ended at the MLK Monument. (Photo by Robyn Stevens Brody) 
60th Anniversary March ended at the MLK Monument. (Photo by Robyn Stevens Brody)
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