The United States has an undeniable amount of work to do in order to tackle the racial injustices and inequalities the country still faces. The Million Man March played its part in that by encouraging people from all across the country to gather on the National Mall on October 10th 2015. Though the Nation of Islam and its current leader, Minister Farrakhan are considered controversial to some, the message of the March was clear; “Justice or Else!” The March marked the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March which highlighted how little had changed for racial equality and how much more needs to be done. The event had a handful of passionate speakers representing the Native American Indian, Latino, Arab, Mexican and African American communities.
The turnout of the march however, accurately reflected the issue at large. The majority of those who attended the March came from communities directly affected by the injustices and racial disparities, but where was everyone else? Just a few blocks down from the movement was the annual Taste of DC where it saw a turnout of around 50,000 people. One gathering consisted of those interested in meandering around food stalls and drink stands, tasting the best of what DC has to offer, while the other gathered demanding justice and equal protection under the law. The point here is not to guilt-trip those who were unable to attend the March but more to highlight priorities. Change will not happen if people do not look beyond their own circumstances, Black Lives Matter encourages just that. The reality lays in the idea that if the United States government and protective services of any kind truly valued all lives to the same degree, there would not be so many African American and other minority groups beaten by police, incarcerated for trivial matters and discriminated against on a daily basis. Change will come from people tacking racial injustices as human rights issues that affect everyone. August 2014, PEW Research Center released data that showed almost 60% of the White population believed that the Nation had done enough for racial equality, which dropped to 40% in 2015.
Percentage of American’s who say the Nation has done enough for racial equality.
Fig. 1 PEW Research Center 2015
| 2014 | 2015 | % Change | |
| White | 57% | 40% | 17 |
| Black | 17% | 8% | 9 |
| Hispanic | 43% | 21% | 22 |
This chart conveys that as of 2015, 92% of the African American population believe that the country has a lot more to work on in order to achieve racial equality. It is clear that the change in opinion seen in the chart occurred as a result of not only more injustices arising but also more coverage. Black Lives Matter started in July 2013 but gained even more momentum and public awareness in 2014 after the murder of two unarmed black men, Michael Brown in Ferguson Missouri and Eric Garner in New York City. As quoted by the Million Man March 2015, Dr Martin Luther King said
“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable … Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals”.
Everyone has a role to play in the movement of racial equality and justice for all. The March may be over but this is “not a moment, but a movement” (#blacklivesmatter). There are many ways to get involved with campaigns for justice mentioned at the Million Man March.
The following are some of the demands set out by the Million Man March with information on how you can get involved.
We want an immediate end to police brutality and mob attacks.
Get involved with:
- Black Lives Matter
http://blacklivesmatter.com/
- The National Police Accountability Project
Phone (212) 630-9939
- American Civil liberties Union
https://www.aclu.org/fighting-police-abuse-community-action-manual
- Stolen Lives Project
http://stolenlives.org/
We want Justice for the Native American Indians.
Get involved with:
- National Indian Justice Center
http://www.nijc.org/
- Unitarian Universalist Association: Justice for Native People
http://www.uua.org/multiculturalism/history/uua/nativeamerican/117131.shtml
- National Criminal Justice Reference Service
https://www.ncjrs.gov/justiceinindiancountry/
We want Justice for the Mexican and Latinos.
Get involved with:
- Latino Justice
http://latinojustice.org/
- Hispanics in Philanthropy
https://www.hiponline.org/about/about-hip
We want Justice for Women.
Get involved with:
- Planned Parenthood
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/
- American Civil Liberties Union
- Women for Women International
http://www.womenforwomen.org/
- Amnesty International: Women’s Rights
http://www.amnestyusa.org/
We want Justice for the Poor.
Get involved with:
- Justice for the Poor: J4P
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTLAWJUSTICE/EXTJUSFORPOOR/0,,menuPK:3282947~pagePK:149018~piPK:149093~theSitePK:3282787,00.html
- Street Sense
http://streetsense.org/
- Feeding America
http://www.feedingamerica.org
tel: 800.771.2303
We want Justice for the Incarcerated.
Get involved with:
- Insight Prison Project
http://www.insightprisonproject.org/a-restorative-justice-agency.html
On November 12th 2015, the Million Student March will take place in various locations around the country. The movement demands the following:
- Tuition-Free Public College
- Cancellation of All Student Debt
- $15 Minimum Wage for All Campus Workers
Having access to free education for all is one big step to help fight racial injustices.
Find out more at http://studentmarch.org/
