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Q: Million man march (in USA, 1996 or so) ( Answered 3 out of 5 stars,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Million man march (in USA, 1996 or so)
Category: Reference, Education and News > General Reference
Asked by: goldsmiths-ga
List Price: $30.00
Posted: 13 Mar 2004 17:00 PST
Expires: 12 Apr 2004 18:00 PDT
Question ID: 316447
What was the Million march about, and who was the organiser? 
Please provide background information on what it was, when it took
place, why it took place, and who orgnaised it.
What was its aim? and did it succeed in its aim?
Answer  
Subject: Re: Million man march (in USA, 1996 or so)
Answered By: googlenut-ga on 13 Mar 2004 21:08 PST
Rated:3 out of 5 stars
 
Hello goldsmiths-ga,

The Million Man March took place October 16, 1995 on the National Mall
in Washington DC.  It was one of the largest gatherings of African
American men in US history.  It was organized by Nation of Islam
leader Minister Louis Farrakhan, and Rev. Benjamin Chavis Jr., former
executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP).

The event was billed as ?Holy Day of Atonement and Reconciliation? by
its organizers.



Minister Louis Farrakhan Calls For
One Million Man March
http://www.finalcall.com/national/anniversary/marchcall.html
?We, as students and followers of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, are
calling on all able-bodied Black men to set aside a day, October 16,
1995, for an historic March on Washington to declare to the Government
of America and the world, that we are ready to take our place as the
head of our families and our communities and that we, as Black men,
are ready to shoulder the responsibility of being the maintainers of
our women and children and the builders of our communities. There is
enough unused and undeveloped talent in the Black male to build an
entirely New World. The Almighty Allah (God) has declared that the
time is ripe; and, that we must get up from our assigned place at the
foot of the rulers of this world and show forth the Wisdom and Power
of Allah (God) in doing something for ourselves.?



In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful
Why a Million Man March
by Minister Louis Farrakhan
http://www.finalcall.com/national/anniversary/whymarch.html
?We recognize October 16th as "A Holy Day of Atonement and
Reconciliation." We believe that it is only when we are as one-at
peace with ourselves and our Creator-can we then begin to reconcile
ourselves with the Creator. We then are fortified with the ability and
the capacity to successfully reconcile our differences, and accelerate
the upward mobility of the Black community.

We believe that as men, we must recognize and unconditionally Atone
for the absence, in too many cases, of the Black male as the head of
the household, positive role model and builder of our community. We
believe that we must Atone for, and establish positive solutions to,
the abuse and misuse of our women and girls.?



The Million Man March Pledge
http://www.finalcall.com/national/anniversary/mmm-pledge.html
?I PLEDGE that from this day forward I will strive to love my brother
as I love myself. I, from this day forward, will strive to improve
myself spiritually, morally, mentally, socially, politically and
economically for the benefit of myself, my family and my people. I
pledge that I will strive to build businesses, build houses, build
hospitals, build factories and enter into international trade for the
good of myself, my family and my people.

I PLEDGE that from this day forward I will never raise my hand with a
knife or a gun to beat, cut, or shoot any member of my family or any
human being except in self-defense. I pledge from this day forward I
will never abuse my wife by striking her, disrespecting her, for she
is the mother of my children and the producer of my future. I pledge
that from this day forward I will never engage in the abuse of
children, little boys or little girls for sexual gratification. For I
will let them grow in peace to be strong men and women for the future
of our people.

I WILL never again use the ?B word? to describe any female. But
particularly my own Black sister. I pledge from this day forward that
I will not poison my body with drugs or that which is destructive to
my health and my well-being. I pledge from this day forward I will
support Black newspapers, Black radio, Black television. I will
support Black artists who clean up their acts to show respect for
themselves and respect for their people and respect for the ears of
the human family. I will do all of this so help me God.?



USA Today
Million Man March
What's it about
http://www.usatoday.com/news/index/nman002.htm
?Event: Million Man March, a grass-roots mobilization across black
religious and class lines; plans are for an assembly 23 blocks long
facing the Capitol on Monday.

Organizers: Minister Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam;
Rev. Benjamin Chavis Jr., former executive director of the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Goals: Spiritual and social transformation; a "holy day of atonement
and reconciliation'' for black men, plus a political agenda or
"manifesto'' to advance the cause of blacks. Organizers call for
marchers to register to vote.?


=================================================================


The initial estimate of the number of participants at the Million Man
March by the National Park Service and widely reported in the media,
was 400,000.  However, later estimates put that number at 837,000
people and possibly as many as 1.1 million.



Boston University Center for Remote Sensing
Million Man March
http://www.bu.edu/remotesensing/Research/MMM/MMMnew.html
?Dr. Farouk EL-Baz, director of the Center for Remote Sensing at
Boston University, today announced the results of the Center's final
analysis of the crowd size present during the "Million Man March" held
Monday, October 16, in Washington, DC - 837,000, with a margin of
error of plus or minus 20 percent.?

---

?Last week, Dr. Michael Guillen, science editor of ABC's "Good Morning
America" program, asked Dr. El-Baz if the Center could conduct an
analysis of some 35mm photographs obtained by the television network
from the Park Service. Dr. El-Baz gathered a team of 10 research
associates and graduate students of the Center in order to develop a
methodology for applying remote sensing techniques to the problem of
crowd size estimation. After working overnight, the team on Thursday
morning, October 19, produced a n estimate of 870,000 people in
attendance at about 3:30 p.m., with a margin of error of about 25
percent, which meant the actual size of the crowd at that time could
have been as low as 650,000 or as high as 1.1 million.?



NASA Observatorium's Teacher's Guides
Million Man March
http://observe.arc.nasa.gov/nasa/education/teach_guide/million_man.html
?Dr. El-Baz used remote sensing technology to estimate the number of
marchers at the Million Man March.

The Boston University team actually counted the number of people
unless the area was too dense. At that point, the team estimated the
density of people per pixel (six people in a one-meter square).

To check the accuracy of their count, Dr. El-Baz and his team also
used some GIS software to estimate the density of marchers within a
fifty-meter cell. The results were similar.

The Boston University team figured that there were 878,587 marchers.
With an estimated error margin of 25%, the number of participants
could have been as high as 1,098,234 or as low as 658,940.?


=================================================================


There was a great deal of discussion and controversy surrounding the
Million Man March, much of it due to its leader, Louis Farrakhan. 
Many people consider Farrakhan to be racist, sexist and anti-Semitic.


Its goal more widely accepted than its leader
October 17, 1995
http://www-cgi.cnn.com/US/9510/megamarch/10-17/notebook/index.html
?Minister Louis Farrakhan called for "a million sober, disciplined,
committed, dedicated, inspired black men to meet in Washington on a
day of atonement." The African-American community -- and much of the
white -- found the idea admirable.

It is much of what else the Nation of Islam leader has said over the
years that is less welcome. Farrakhan has been branded a racist,
separatist, sexist and anti-Semite.?



Farrakhan inspires and infuriates at once
http://www.usatoday.com/news/index/nman005.htm
?Louis Farrakhan inspires some and infuriates others, but wherever the
fiery Nation of Islam leader goes he draws a crowd.

Now the man who, in an interview broadcast on Friday, again referred
to Jews as "bloodsuckers" and has belittled Catholics, whites and
homosexuals, is hoping to draw a million black men to Washington on
Monday in an event billed as a day of atonement, prayer and
inspiration.

Farrakhan, who did not respond to requests for an interview, said in
public appearance Saturday that his latest remarks were taken out of
context. But he's also not inclined to apologize for his words, nor is
he one to retreat from his long-held views.

The 62-year-old minister denied in television interviews this month
that he or his organization "said that we hate whites, Catholics,
Jews. That is someone else's assertion that they wish to place upon me
and upon us."?



Clinton urges both races to ?clean house?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/index/nman014.htm
?"One million men are right to be standing up for personal
responsibility," Clinton said. "But 1 million men do not make right
one man?s message of malice and division." In his speech, Farrakhan
replied to Clinton, saying, "I?m not a malicious person, and I?m not
filled with malice. But . . . I come in the tradition of the doctor
who has to point out, with truth, what?s wrong." Clinton also
criticized retired L.A. detective Mark Fuhrman, telling whites, "The
taped voice of one policeman should fill you with outrage." The
president called on both sides to acknowledge the other?s grievances
and fears.?



Women?s reactions run from elation to disdain
http://www.usatoday.com/news/index/nman013.htm
?As the men marched, the women cheered - and jeered.

In Washington and across the nation Monday, African-American women
expressed strong reactions from the Million Man March sidelines.

"This is very positive for women as well as men," said Shanae Gibbs,
23, a Marketing and Finance senior who organized a sit-in to watch the
march on TV at the University of Toledo. "This is like a ?thank you?
the black men are giving to black women. It gives women a chance to
see that black men do appreciate them." Others sharply disagreed.

"No one seems to notice that the gender exclusion is just as much of a
problem as what everybody in the march wanted to talk about, which is
racism," said Kimberle Crenshaw, of African American Agenda 2000. The
group held a teach-in Monday night at New York?s Columbia University.
"A unity that is purchased through the exclusion of the interests of
specific obstacles facing 50% of the community is ill begotten unity,"
Crenshaw said.

Still, many women attended the march to show support.?


=================================================================	


Regarding the success of the Million Man March, its organizers clearly
considered the march a success, as did many others.  They succeeded in
their immediate goal of bringing a large number of African-American
men together in a peaceful rally in the Nation?s capital.  These men,
possibly 1.1 million of them, took a pledge to improve themselves, and
to denounce violence and drugs.  Many of them also registered to vote
that day.

Did this march result in a long-term success?  That question is more
difficult to answer.



The Million Man March; Past, Present and Future
By FinalCall.com News
An interview with Minister Louis Farrakhan
http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/article_1099.shtml
?FC: Please share your vision of the success of the March at that
time, what you felt it produced then and since then?

MLF: We knew from the tremendous turnout of Black men that it was a
great success; the unity that was present, the peace that was present.
The commitment of those men to make life better for their wives and
children, and to bring a greater amount of peace and security to our
communities, that remained to be seen?whether we would follow through
on that commitment.

There was great fear that these men would act in a way that would
create the necessity of the National Guard, federal troops and others
to intervene. So, government?city and federal?closed down on that day
and the Million Man March became a major media event. This worldwide
media attention put the nearly two million Black men who were present,
and all of those who spoke, in the view of billions of people around
the planet.

The way the March was characterized by the media caused me to be
somewhat depressed and I went into solitude and quiet to ask Allah?s
(God?s) guidance for what the next step should be.?



The Million Man March, one year later
Impact both obvious and debatable
http://www.cnn.com/US/9610/16/march.retrospective/
?Proven results?

In Murchison's case, the Million Man March's emphasis on self-reliance
and affirmation had a tangible impact on an individual. Organizers
cite wider results, but their claims are not easily proven:
 
Chavis says the march helped bring down the crime rate in the black
community. But the latest crime figures are for 1995, and the march
did not take place until October of that year.

Chavis also says more than a million new black voters have been
registered in the past year. But one expert, Curtis Gans of the
Committee for the Study of the American Electorate, said the claim
can't be verified.

March organizers promised to create a fund to invest in impoverished
black neighborhoods, but they acknowledge no projects have received
funding.
On top of this, the Million Man March is still saddled with a $66,000 debt.?



A movement or just a moment?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/index/nman001.htm
?Was the march called by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan only a
fleeting, goosebump-raising moment for black Americans? Or was it the
beginning of a lasting national movement, like the one that grew out
of Martin Luther King's 1963 March on Washington? Will the Million Man
March one day be viewed as such a pivotal event that people who
weren't there will say they were?

Interviews with dozens of marchers suggest that many of the men who
marched on Oct. 16, 1995, took to heart the messages of black
self-reliance and responsibility, and that they channeled those
messages into action.

Men like Jacob Wheeler III, of Los Angeles, who went home and started
Summit 2000. The coalition of 16 organizations had the goal of helping
1 million more black families across the country own their own homes.

Wheeler left the march feeling as if "it was all kind of a dream."
But, he says, "by the end of January we decided this was a dream that
could become reality."

And reality, he says, can be measured. 

But many of the social changes cited by march organizers as evidence
of the event's long-term success - from increases in voter
registration to more adoptions of black children - cannot be proved or
disproved. At least not after one year.?



A MILLION MEN, ONE YEAR LATER
OCTOBER 16, 1996
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/race_relations/october96/million_man_march_10-16.html


=================================================================


Other references:


USA Today
Million Man March Index
http://www.usatoday.com/news/index/nman000.htm


CNN
The Million Man March
http://www-cgi.cnn.com/US/9510/megamarch/march.html


Minister Farrakhan challenges black men
Transcript from Minister Louis Farrakhan's remarks at the Million Man March
http://www-cgi.cnn.com/US/9510/megamarch/10-16/transcript/


Smithsonian Institution
Million Man March
?Smithsonian photographers document the march as part of continuing
documentary coverage of events on the National Mall?
http://photo2.si.edu/mmm/mmm.html


Official site of the Nation of Islam
http://www.noi.org/


FinalCall.com
http://www.finalcall.com/


=================================================================


I hope you have found this information helpful.  If you have any
questions, please request clarification prior to rating the answer.

Googlenut


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