Million Man March was a rally for African American men that took place in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 16, 1995. It was organized by Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, a Black Muslim group. The chief purpose of the rally was to encourage Black men to take personal responsibility for improving conditions in Black communities. It was also designed to promote racial unity.
In his opening address at the Million Man March, Farrakhan asked Black men to make up for past neglect of their families and communities. He urged Black men to end the problems plaguing Black communities. These problems include violence, drug misuse, lack of education, and the abandonment of families by fathers. Among the other speakers at the rally were the civil rights leaders Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther King III, and Rosa Parks; and the poet Maya Angelou. Singer Stevie Wonder also performed at the event.
Many Black and white people applauded the goals of the march. However, some African American Christian leaders opposed the march because of certain issues surrounding Farrakhan. For example, Farrakhan had been accused of making anti-Semitic statements—that is, prejudiced statements against Jews.
Farrakhan called for 1 million men to attend the rally. However, the United States Park Service estimated the crowd gathered at the National Mall to be about 400,000. Farrakhan accused the government of racial bias in its count. He claimed over 1 million attended the rally.
The Million Man March inspired several other rallies. The Million Woman March took place in Philadelphia in 1997. Farrakhan organized the Million Family March, held in 2000. He also led the Millions More Movement, held in 2005, on the 10th anniversary of the Million Man March. Both the Million Family March and the Millions More Movement were held in Washington, D.C.
See also African Americans (Beyond the civil rights movement); Farrakhan, Louis.
