On October 16th, 1995, Black men from all 50 states and beyond landed in Washington, DC for the Million Man March. Organized by Nation of Islam leader and fervent Black activist Louis Farrakhan, Black men, young and old, stood near the National Mall, singing songs of Black national uplift and hearing orations from the likes of Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou and Stevie Wonder.
The Million Man March was organized in the backdrop of a largely conservative society, where racial tensions fed the flames of the 1992 LA riots, a time of social reckoning for Black people. Similarly, we are three years removed from protests which held uplift of the Black race as its thesis. But as the Black community celebrates 30 years since that great display of unity in numbers and ideology, the challenge of Black civil rights and perception is still as clear as it was in 1995.
With the advancement of the internet, it comes to no surprise that Black people across the world–let alone America–have begun to subscribe and indulge in online spaces that pertain to their particular ethnicity. It is not uncommon to have a “diaspora war” about social constructs differing from country to country. It is not uncommon to have clashes about cultural dishes, customs and traditions. Online, we are often enraged and fragmented, with new words like “low racial self-esteem” being added to the lexicons of online forums.
But the topic of racial self-esteem is an apt and nuanced one. With far-right political ideology spreading to predominantly young boys and men online, the issue of Black boys and men being radicalized against their own community becomes a threat to the sanctity of Black unity and brotherhood. When a young man commits acts of terrorism in the name of white supremacist ideology but he is Black, it becomes an internal matter to define what it means to be a Black man in America.
The original flyer for the Million Man March had the words “This is only the beginning!” ring hopeful and optimistic. 30 years later, there has not been an equivalent public display of Black male pride and unity. I hope that the feeling of jubilee Black men and boys felt when they saw their fellow brothers alongside them singing the Black national anthem is not one that is lost. Amidst a regressive social and political climate, becoming increasingly politically aware has to become a priority for the Black community. The radicalization of children, laws pertaining to racial profiling and distractions from entities that do not wish us well has to be addressed.
We build monuments on the shoulders of giants and are a part of a rich legacy that no one can take from us. Let the legacy of unity and brotherhood live on.
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