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Marching For Change

The thick green lawnbetween the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., was packed with people and pride last Monday. Hardly a patch of grass could be seen between the African-American men and boys standing shoulder to shoulder at the Million Man March.

"Look at them," said Kimberly Cole, passing by the park with her 6-year-old son Joshua that day. "See how proud they can be when there's something good to rally around? I just wanted Josh to see that."

The Million Man March was one of the largest marches on Washington in history. The crowd was so big and hard to count that people later argued over how many hundreds of thousands of men were really there. A religious group called the Nation of Islam and its leader Louis Farrakhan organized the event. All black men and boys in the country were invited.

Black leaders--including former presidential candidate Jesse Jackson and the poet Maya Angelou--spoke at the march. The speakers told the men to be leaders in their communities, families and churches. They spoke of the unfairness black men still face in this country. And they urged the men to work together to improve life for all black Americans.

"America will benefit and ultimately be grateful for this day," Jesse Jackson said. "We want an America for all of us--to play on an even playing field by one set of rules."

Black Men In America
Why did black men march? Leaders in the black community say black men in this country are a very troubled group. Laws that protect black people against being treated differently from whites have been around for decades, but many black men still do not feel like full partners in the U.S. work force or society. They say racism is partly to blame.

The average white family still earns more money than the average black family. A higher percentage of blacks than whites are on welfare or in single-parent families. A new study says one of every three black men in his 20s is either in prison or in some other kind of trouble with the law. The speakers at the march said that although white racism may keep blacks from getting fair treatment, black men would have to fix their own problems.

"Our goals are to encourage African-American men to finally stand up as leaders in their community," says Dwayne Marshall, a student from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, who marched with 60 fellow students. "(We must) stop looking for handouts and accept some responsibility for ourselves."

The Ones Who Stayed Away
Some black men who could have marched chose not to. The event's organizer, Louis Farrakhan, has ideas that offend many people. Those who disagree with Farrakhan did not want to appear to support him, even if they thought the march was a good idea.

Farrakhan, who spoke for more than two hours at the march, has said hurtful things about women and homosexuals. He has been especially insulting to Jews.

Colin Powell, a former top U.S. Army general who may run for President in 1996, did not go to the march. "I was concerned that my presence on the stage with Farrakhan might give him a level of credibility," said Powell. He called Farrakhan's views "racist and anti-Semitic," which means anti-Jewish.

Marching Into The Future
Many men who attended the march say they left with fresh energy to tackle the problems they face. "It was the most beautiful experience I've ever had in my 21 years," said college student Marshall.

A group of Congressmen, black and white, asked President Clinton to form a special group to study relations between the races. Clinton said he was moved by the huge turnout at the march. "We are turning our attention now very carefully to what should be done," he said. "I want to do my best to do it right."

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We Marched!
When Charles Brown, 9, arrived at the Million Man March, he felt like he was in a new land. "It looked like another country," said Charles, who marched with his grandfather, father and uncle. "There were so many black people just talking together. It was all you could see."

Charles was one of four boys from Winan Elementary School in Baltimore, Maryland, who told TFK about going to the march. They will never forget what they saw that day.

"All you could see was black people's heads," said Devron Jones, 8, who went with his brother, father and cousins. "And there was no fighting, even with all those people."

"I saw famous people," said Lorenzo Robinson Jr., 10. "I saw Jesse Jackson and Maya Angelou. And I think I saw Hammer too."

Jordan Rice, 8, said the scene was like a picnic. "People were meeting and talking to each other."

Lorenzo heard all the speeches. "Farrakhan said black people shouldn't attack one another," he reported. "And my dad said, 'That is the answer: love each other.'"

After the long day, Charles Brown and the men in his family started home on a train packed with other marchers. They all talked about pride, respect and responsibility. "It was a good feeling," Charles said. "It felt like I just made history."

Was It The Biggest?
Americans have often called attention to important causes with marches on Washington. Here are some of the biggest:

• Vietnam Moratorium Rally
  November 15, 1969 - 600,000 people
• Vietnam "Out Now" Rally
  April 24, 1971 - 500,000 people
• National Organization for Women march and rally
  April 5, 1992 - 500,000
• Million Man March
  October 16, 1995 - 400,000 people
• Gay Rights March
  April 25, 1993 - 300,000 people
• 20th Anniversary Civil Rights March
  August 20, 1983 - 300,000 people

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