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The Million Man March: Be there or be aware
Photo by Melvin Jackson
Brother Steve Cokley addresses the Million Man March, Oklahoma City
bombing and the Boule (Sigma Pi Phi) Sept. 27 at the Morehouse King Chapel.
doing it." Umoja said.
By Wendy Isom
Editor-in-Chief
There are a million and one places a
black man could be on Oct. 16.
Well, actually only a million places. We
know one. O.J. is back in his own place.
Besides that, the only other place to be is
Washington, D.C. for the Million Man
March.
"As many as 300 (black men) from the
Atlanta University Center are registered to
go so far." said Sister Margaret, member of
the Million Man March Local Organizing
Committee.
Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation
of Islam, introduced the march which some
predict will be the largest demonstration in
U.S. history. Farrakhan said it is aday forall
black men and women to atone with God,
our community and our families.
While the men march, he encourages
black women to stay home from work,
businesses and school to teach children
together, pray together and first together.
While Farrakhan said his purpose for the
march in the Aug. 30 issue of The Final
Call, some people feel he’s missing the
purpose by not including women in the
march. They said he is not addressing other
key purposes that could be accomplished in
the march or he's leading the march for the
sole purpose of the Nation of Islam.
"1 think a march in and of itself is good but
we have to look beyond the march. What
programs are we going to have after the
march'?" said CAU professor of African-
American History, Akinyele Umoja, who
led his Thursday 3:05 p.m. class in a discus
sion of the march.
"I have no problems with brothers going
to march. I want them to know why they’re
"I think we need to stop and look at all the
purposes,” said JarodScott, CAU juniorand
history major
Viable reparations, voter registration and
valiant revolution are purposes some had in
mind.
Minister Ava Muhammad, attorney and
assistant to Farrakhan, was at the Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. Morehouse International
Chapel, Sept. 26, to address some of the key
purposes of the march.
Much of her address was an analysis of
the O.J. Simpson trial. However, she ex
plained it was not an aside to the march. The
trial is symbolic of what is happening to
black Americans, she said.
Turn on the T. V. “White Americais openly
waging a war on you," said Muhammad.
“We can argue about politics and religion
after we are free. After we have something,”
she said.
Although O.J. is free now, some students
like Damon C. McGee, CAU senior and
history and philosophy major, argues march
ing for freedom from the government must
be first.
“I'm not marching for atonement. I'm
marching to shut the government down,"
said McGee, member of The Students For
All Affikan Empowerment.
The only sin black people may be guilty of
is inaction, McGee said.
Indeed, everyone argues from a different
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perspective for the march. Some say they
feel like black women are being stepped
over by not being allowed to march.
“I support the march but 1 feel that the
sisters need to determine what their role is
going to be in the march,” said Olimatta
Taal, president of the Black Student Alli
ance at Georgia State University.
“Women have been fighting for us to take
on our own responsibility," Scott said.
“To me, it’s like what we’ve been asking
for. I once heard they (black people) can’t
get together for anything,” said Yolanda
Brewer, CAU senior and radio/tv/film ma
jor.
“The quality of being a leader should not
just be being a male,” said William Ross,
CAU senior and mass media arts major.
“I as a black woman want to see my black
man restored to his rightful position as one
who I can walk with, be proud of. trust and
don’t have to wonder if he has dormant
desiresof a white woman,"said Muhammad.
“Women, although they're not marching,
they’ve been registering their fathers, broth
ers and friends,” said Letitia X, a CAU
senior and business major, who has been
registering black men on CAU’s campus in
front of McPheeters-Dennis since Sept. 18.
“I think it’s important for people to
take part in it. It’s something to tell your kids
about,” said Deidre Abrams, CAU junior
and mass media arts major.
Don’t do it because Farrakhan said do it,
do it for yourself, said Steve Durante, CAU
senior and history major.
“This march is bigger than the Nation of
Islam .It’s about black people," said Maddix
Moore. CAU graduate student in African-
American studies and a member of Phi Beta
Sigma.
"Every black person should not spend
their money on that day,” said Sadiq, aC AU
senior and radio/tv/film major.
“ It's not just to get out of school for a
day,’’said William Dash, Morehouse Col
lege senior and biology major."I go to an all
male institution and I want to make a politi
cal statement.”
“This is a movement," said Rev. Albert
Love, that your don’t want to be on the
wrong side of history on.”
For more information on the March, call
635-9365 or 635-9379. Registration for the
march is $10,