Million Man March

The Million Man March (MMM), held in October 1995 in Washington, D.C., was one of the largest demonstrations to focus directly on race and gender issues since the civil rights and feminist movements of the 1960s. Minister Louis Farrakhan called for [Page 574]black men to participate as a way of affirming the virtues of personal responsibility, self-reliance, and respect for others in their communities. The MMM was supported by hundreds of black professional, political, religious, and activist organizations. The marchers included black men and women from all ages, professions, religions, and geographic locations, although as the title of the march suggests, the event organizers emphasized the need to address black men's experiences as the central theme of the day's activities.

The celebration of traditional forms of masculine behavior, such as the call for men to take their places as the heads of conventional, heterosexual families, was interpreted as sexist and homophobic by some community leaders, scholars, and feminist groups. However, some black women's organizations, such as the National Black Women's Political Congress, supported the MMM, and a limited number of women were welcomed as speakers at the event. At the center of this controversy was Minister Louis Farrakhan, who initially proposed that the MMM should serve as a catalyst for black men to atone to their families and communities, while black women were to play a supporting role by praying and staying home to take care of domestic duties the day of the march.

The MMM organizers were hailed by many for recognizing how gendered forms of racism have led to widespread inequality, such as inferior education opportunities, racial discrimination in employment and the criminal justice system, and harmful stereotypical media images of black males, which have damaging consequences, often spanning generations. Critics of the MMM were concerned that the event organizers lacked a holistic vision for addressing social justice issues by suggesting only solutions consisting of personal responsibility, adhering to religious traditions, and altering individual behavior. These individualized solutions were further condemned by some who interpreted the MMM's mission as embedding heterosexist, traditional gender norms in the rhetoric of social justice for black communities.

A less controversial though highly debated aspect of the MMM was the actual number of participants. Researchers cite that from 800,000 to over 1 million people attended the event. Scholars and activists argue that the media fascination with this number detracted from the mission and accomplishments of the MMM. Supporters state that the event was extremely successful in starting a national conversation on the issues of race and gender as they pertain to the black community.