Million Man Muddle

Race relations in America get more convoluted every day. In this "Politically Correct" age it would seem that progress is inevitable. However, we all seem to be spinning our wheels in a great societal rut.

The "Million Man March," which took place on the Washington Mall is deemed a success by some and a failure by others. There is controversy surrounding Louis Farrakhan, organizer of the march and leader of the Nation of Islam, and the ideal which the march was cast on.

Farrakhan has always been a controversial figure. Born Louis Eugene Walcott, he adopted the Muslim name Farrakhan in 1955 after joining the black nationalist Nation of Islam, led by Malcolm X. When the group split in 1975, Farrakhan established a more militant group in Chicago.

In general, it is Farrakhan's message that blacks should help blacks to succeed. However, he represents himself in such a way that groups of people become personally offended.

"The reality is that there is a fair amount of racism in this country that needs to be addressed but the dilemma is that Farrakhan's works infect minds with a kind of poison that does nothing to solve problems," said Warren Eisenberg, deputy director of the Center for Public Policy at B'Nai B'rith International, in a USA Today interview. B'Nai B'rith is a Jewish organization.

Farrakhan himself has been called racist, separatist, sexist and anti-Semitic. In a television interview he referred to Koreans and Jews who owned businesses in the ghetto as "bloodsuckers" and in the past has made remarks which belittle Catholics, whites and homosexuals.

While many leaders, educators and everyday citizens seem to try and find ways to bring the races together--Farrakhan seems to find a way to further divide them.

We must compare the "Million Man March" to the most historic civil rights gathering of 1963, where a quarter million protesters gathered at the Lincoln Monument to hear the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.

King's dream was that one day Americans would "not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." This is an ideal to which all Americans can aspire.

In Farrakhan's two-hour oratory which marked the finale of the march, he urged the men to go home and join black organizations; to take hold of political power, unite against racism and cleanse black communities of crimes, drugs and violence.

Perhaps this is a case of shoot the messenger, accept the message. Colin Powell commented on the march saying: "What you're seeing in Washington today are hundreds of thousands of black men coming together not to celebrate Louis Farrakhan or to buy into his agenda or to speak in racist terms, but to begin to uplift black men and uplift African-Americans to be part of an inclusive America."

The march was specifically geared toward "uplifting black men;" women were not invited to attend. Which brings up the issue of sexism. Many were angered by the exclusion of women. On CNN, Myrlie Evers-Williams, chair of the NAACP, remarked on the eclusion of women saying she's fought long and hard to get past the "double whammy" of being black and a woman.

Also, the exclusion of whites seemed to some a tactic that could only serve to widen the gulf between races when the goal should be to bring them together. A press release which appeared before the march in USA Today stated their goals as being "spiritual and social transformation; a 'holy day of atonement and reconciliation' for black men, plus a political agenda or 'manifesto' to advance the cause of blacks." This seems to be a good thing.

The idea of a million men coming together to work on a pressing issue for the good of society is comforting. Divorce rates are skyrocketing and single-parent families have been steadily on the rise. And, who can we point the finger at? Men--the men who are supposed to be the father figures. The breakdown of the family structure starts there.

There is a masculine identity crisis, especially among the lower class. Perhaps it is due to the lack of male role models. Perhaps it is due to ever-increasing gang activity. Part of the point to this gathering of black men was to emphasize their role in these problems.

Gangs are not a good example of public relations for black Americans. While gangs are neither entirely black nor male--these are the images presented by the media and rap music. But, as this representation of black males as violent and indifferent to human life has pervaded the media, so has it pervaded our lives. This was something which the organizers and participants of the march wanted to quell.

Whether the exclusion of women and whites promotes divisiveness is dependent upon who you speak with.

It is unquestionable that this was a historic gathering. Since the Martin Luther King, Jr. rally, this is the largest group of people to march on Washington. The official park count was set at 400,000 people. This is a count which, unfortunately, Farrakhan may make a legal issue of. If every good intention of this march has been validated at some point in some way then Farrakhan has robbed it with this statement:

"Racism, white supremacists, and the hatred of Louis Farrakhan disallows them to give us credit." He has ordered lawyers to seek in federal court a recount, saying that "well over a million people" attended the march.

These actions totally discredit the merits of the people who did attend the rally. Any gains or favor that Farrakhan may have gotten is now irrevocably tarnished with his cry of racism.

The bottom line is always racism. Racism is a word, shield, emotion and movement. Racism is a cry of battle as well as a cry of retreat. The P.C. multi-purpose shield and sword has done little to instigate rational debate between the races. Until we are allowed to speak candidly about race issues without fear of being damned as a racist--we will become more and more divided.

John Lewis, a civil rights activist in the 60's and speaker at the Martin Luther King rally in 1963, wrote this in a Newsweek article about the march:

"Thirty years ago, I thought we would be much further down the road toward an integrated society by now... Some say Dr. King's ideals have been tested and are no longer viable. But I think these principles are immutable. We must not separate ourselves. We have to believe in the possibilities of one America, one community, one house, one family."

Amanda Erickson wrote this for the Oregon Commentator