BlackCommentator.com September 03, 2015 - Issue 619: 20th Anniversary Of The Million Man March And The Continuing Challenges - Worrill's World By Dr. Conrad W. Worrill, PhD, BC Columnist

September 03, 2015 - Issue 619

20th Anniversary
Of The Million Man March
And The Continuing Challenges

"We have an opportunity to show ourselves, our
families and the world that Black men are prepared
to assume responsibility for planning and shaping
the destiny of African people."

Minister Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, has called for the 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March that will be held October 10, 2015 in Washington, D.C. under the theme, “Justice or Else.”

As they say, “time really flies.” Twenty years ago I wrote the following article and many of the challenges facing African American men remain the same:

The call by Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam for a million Black men to March On Washington Monday, October 16, 1995 presents major challenges to all Black men concerned about the future of African people throughout the world.

In a special report in the Black Collegian Magazine, renown husband and wife scholars, Dr.’s Nathan and Julia Hare make the following observation: “In a white dominated society (or situation within the sphere of white domination), it is the Black male who poses the primary threat to the white male patriarchy, who in the white male's mind can take his place in the male dominion.”

The Hare’s continue by explaining, “thus, when the sledgehammer of racial suppression begins to beat down harder and faster upon a subordinate Black race, it will tend to fall at an unequal rate upon the heads of Black males.”

In the larger African American Community this problem can be observed with a brief and casual inspection. All you have to do is trave1 to any African community in America and the problem jumps out at you all over the place.

One of the major manifestations of this observation is that large numbers of African American men have been pushed into, as a means of economic survival, the ever increasing drug industry in this country. This drug infestation, fostered by the United States government, is killing off African American males at an alarming rate.

I repeat in these columns, over and over again, that major research predicts “that by the year 2000, at least 70 percent of all African American males will be on dope, in jail, or dead.”

In a speech Minister Farrakhan gave at Compton Community College in Compton, California a few years ago in describing the endangered African American male he said: “When we say the Black male is endangered, that means he is exposed to harm or loss, he is in great peril, he is threatened with extinction.”

All African men in America should take .the Nation of Islam led million man march with a sober determination to provide organizing strategies that will enable African people allover the world to break the white supremacy chains of oppression.

Through the million man march, Black men in America should develop a code of ethics of “Black Male Brotherhood and Solidarity.” It seems to me that a “Black Male Code of Ethics” for the million man march should contain some of the following ideas:

Black men should re-dedicate themselves to the virtues of family life that includes providing time to support all family members, particularly the children.

Black men should re-dedicate themselves to actively participate in schools where their children attend by volunteering to help in anyway needed. This includes volunteering in any predominately African
American schools that need assistance even if your own children do not attend these schools.

Black men should re-dedicate themselves to actively participate in an African American spiritual or religious institution of their choice. This means pledging financial support and joining various committees to help carry out the work of these institutions.

4. Black men should make a serious decision that in the economic arena we re-dedicate ourselves to the following:

That Black men will make as a priority, hiring of other Black men to do repairs on family property, and other properties, in the areas of plumbing, electrical work, bricklayers, roof repairs, carpentry, gardening, painting, etc.
Black men should re-dedicate themselves to using Black printers and computer services.
That Black men need to re-dedicate themselves to solicit the services of Black insurance brokers, Black real estate agents, Black financial planners, Black banking and loan institutions.
In the area of food and clothing, Black men should re-dedicate themselves to buying food from Black owned stores and
restaurants. And in the area of clothing there is absolutely no reason that we cannot buy our clothes from Black designers and Black clothing outlets.
In the area of travel, once again, there is absolutely no reason not to use the services of Black travel agents and agencies.
At the million man march, Black men should bring their business cards by the thousands. These cards should be exchanged with each other so we can develop a grassroots million man march. Black business network and dedicate ourselves to using the services of brothers who attend the march from all over the country.

The challenges and opportunities that the million man march provide are exciting and inspiring. We have an opportunity to show ourselves, our families and the world that Black men are prepared to assume responsibility for planning and shaping the destiny of African people.

We should be prepared to no longer accept other people outside of the African American Community directing, dictating, and controlling what goes on in our communities.

The million man march presents an opportunity for Black men to “step up to the plate” and assume leadership as men in partnership with Black women to face the 21st century with a new vision for Black power and Black sovereignty.

No longer should we be the pawns, victims and subjects of other people desires. Let us march in the name of Black solidarity, justice, freedom, and independence. Let us continue to work on these challenges as we prepare to participate in the 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March, October 10, 2015 in Washington, D.C.

BlackCommentator.com Columnist, Conrad W. Worrill, PhD, is the National Chairman Emeritus of the National Black United Front (NBUF). Contact Dr. Worrill and BC.