We arrived at The Mall (the courtyard between Capitol Hill and the Washington
Monument where the Million Man March would be held) around 8:00 am. I was
accompanied by 3 other Black Males whom I grew up with in a small town in
North Carolina. We all had attended college and felt compelled to attend
the rally with hopes of self-enhancement and African American awareness. It
would also be a means of participating in a large, historical event and,
most importantly, gaining the experience of congregating with a million
other Black Men...
Of course, each of us had additional motives for the pilgrimage. However,
the 4 of us journeyed back to N.C. committed to the resounding theme of
the Million Man March: UNITY!
It was a chilly, but sunny Monday morning as we walked from "the Metro" to the dewed grass of The Mall. Frankly, we did not know what to expect. Negative media reports throughout the last couple of months coupled with talk shows of Sunday night reinforced two ideas going through our minds:
But WE were still committed to make both happen...and they did.
From the onset, the feeling was overwhelming. There were already, as it seemed, 200,000 Brothers gathered. We knew that it was early as we continuously convinced each other "there will be 1 million of us here today, there will be 1 million..." We entered The Mall from the rear and walked by the 3 of 4 gigantic video screens flanked with large speakers. In these sections it was pretty much empty at this time. We made our way to the first video/audio setup where the majority of crowd were huddling. Each time we would turn to look back from our front-center spot, the crowd of Black Men swelled larger and larger. It was only a matter of a couple of hours that the video screen we were watching would show a shot of the crowd in which all the video screens appeared to be drowning in a sea of over 1 million Black Men!
The assembly stretched from Capitol Hill to the Washington Monument shouting promises to end violence and improve their lives. This was unquestionalbly the most dramatic, emotional, and exhilerating event of my life. Seeing so many Black Men together greeting, shaking hands, embracing, singing, clapping and praying has definitely brought a new perspective over my life. Our message echoed responsibility, redemption, respect for women, nontolerance of drugs and violence, political power and self-efficiency.
Minister Louis Farrakhan's speech was a guideline for Atonement, or moving towards a perfect union with God. He criticized white supremacy, President Clinton, and the media. He made a call for all Black Men as Christians, Muslims, nationalists, agnostics, young and old, members of fraternal, civic, and political organization to stand together as one to declare their right to justice and to determine the future for themselves and their community.
There are some things about Farrakhan that I personally, as a Christian, do not agree with. But I must agree with Powell in him saying,
Nevertheless, I respect Minister Louis Farrakhan for calling the march together. But even he stated, "You came not at the call of Louis Farrakhan, but you have gathered here at the call of God." My sentiments exactly...
A Brother asked me, "Why did
you go? I don't agree with
it." I wanted to ask him why he DIDN'T go, but I asked a question that
would produce a response more at the core of his discord, "How many hours do
you spend mentoring the youth in this
community?" He responded, "None". I raised my eyebrows as if to say
"there it is...". This proved to me that if he could not invest any time in
the future of his community, then there was no way I could convince
him of the beneficial purposes of the MMM.
One of our white sisters was quoted in an interview asking, "How can ANY good come out of the MMM?" Well, isn't the fact that I have a revived respect for women positive. Isn't the fact that I have doubled my hours as a volunteer at a local elementary school positive. Is it not positive that I am now taking more time to look within my soul with self-evaluation and have a renewed motivation towards self-enhancement. Has anything positive resulted from the MMM? Yes... I can think of Over a Million of them!
My addressing the Park Police's estimation of 400,000 is not worth the energy I used to tap these keys. Do they still consider us three-fifths of a man... This was a serious but frivolous attempt to minimize the success and impact of the March. Furthermore, it was a confirmation to me that the media is one of the Black Man's worst enemies. And that is something that must be addressed.
On to more positive things: It was, to say the least, a "healing feeling" for
me. The Million Man
March 1995 was a bold, sincere announcement to America that the Black Man,
the Black Woman, and the Black Family are standing together for political,
social, spiritual, and economic progress. I am ecstatic that I participated...
Standing Proud
in the midst of 1 Million Black Men, on one accord and for one cause, is
something that no one will be able to take away from me...
In conclusion, I love you all... My Brothers and Sisters... Build your hopes on things eternal... Treat your fellow man as you would yourself...Don't stop achieving... and "Long Live the Spirit of The Million March!"