13 july 1968 & poor peoples campaign activists leave dc jail

#OTD 13 July 1968 Poor Peoples Campaign activists, who had been arrested during and after the closing of Resurrection City, were happy to be leaving DC Jail (200 19th St, SE). They were greeted by hundreds of other activists who had gathered outside of the jail to greet them with love and song. 

Ralph Abernathy, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) president, was one of the 250 activists arrested on 24 June, during a march to the U.S. Capitol after police dismantled Resurrection City. Abernathy was imprisoned for 20 days on charges of "disorderly conduct" during which time he went on a hunger strike and strategized about next steps for the campaign to end poverty. 

Many of the activists that had just been released and that had gathered at the jail regrouped later at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church (901 3rd St, NW) to continue to strategize about next steps, including the children's campaign launched yesterday by SCLC. Abernathy was scheduled to give a "freedom address" at 10pm at Mt. Carmel.

Your comments are welcome below. Do you recognize any of the activists in the photo? Did you, family members and neighbors gather outside of the jail? What did the jail look like? What do you remember about the neighborhood? Did you take photographs? Do you still have them? Were you part of the Quaker Direct Action Corps that demonstrated #OTD at ~20 churches to support increased funding for food stamp program? You may comment privately here.

Photo source: Courtesy DC Public Library Special Collections. Evening Star Photo Collection. 13 July 1968. Ken Heinen, photographer.
Charles Conconi, "Abernathy Leaves D.C. Jail, Pledges to Push Campaign," Evening Star 13 July 1968. 
"Freed Abernathy Talks of New Plans,” Washington Post 14 July 1968.