A Decade Later, Marchers Look for More

Thousands of Blacks Gather on the Mall to Show Unity -- and Seek New Inspiration

This time, a decade later, the people came not just to make a statement, but to look for a little inspiration and guidance.

Aquil Malik brought a handful of teenagers from Newark, N.J., where he is trying to keep them from descending into the life of violence that landed him in prison for robbery and murder. "I came here to see what other groups are doing," said Malik, a car salesman who finished serving his term right after the Million Man March in 1995. "I need to take something back home."

The Rev. George Allen Jr. of Charlotte came to yesterday's event, known as the Millions More Movement, looking for a recharge. He said prostitutes nearly took over his neighborhood before he began knocking on the windows of their clients, catching them in the act. He got the inspiration to do so from the Million Man March, becoming "an army of one," he said. Now, "It's time for things to come together," said Allen, saying he wanted less talk and more action.

On the Mall for the anniversary of the Million Man March, tens of thousands of African Americans came seeking something -- a handshake, a plan, a little encouragement -- to take home with them to help improve their lives and lives in their communities. Recommendations they heard from the dais included pooling their resources, buying from black businesses, mentoring young people and organizing to pressure political leaders.

Families sprawled on blankets and cardboard boxes and sat attentively as dozens of speakers offered advice on how to organize to protest police brutality and to oppose government policies that keep many blacks poor and out of work. Organizers and participants said the success of the event depends on whether black people devote their money and their time to promote lasting change.

"The measure of this day is not today," said Nation of Islam leader and event organizer Louis Farrakhan, who called on people to donate money to help spur change. "The measure of this day will be determined by what we do tomorrow to create a movement, a real movement among our people."

Al Sharpton underscored that theme, saying that the 1963 March on Washington, at which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, should be used as a guide. After the Million Man March, voter registration and volunteerism rose but no lasting movement evolved, leaders acknowledged.

"What made the 1963 march is that we passed the 1964 civil rights bills," Sharpton said. "The success of this march will be that we take charge of our communities and make a difference in the [2006] elections."

The 1995 gathering was billed as being for men, although women spoke from the dais and were sprinkled throughout the crowd. But this time, families attended and many groups of women came to the rally without men. The 12-hour event ended with Farrakhan, who spoke about 80 minutes. The Mall was mostly quiet, although the vendors' area was filled with gospel and hip-hop music and people hawking their T-shirts, CDs and other souvenirs.

The crowd appeared decidedly smaller than in 1995, when hundreds of thousands showed up. Participants yesterday who also attended the 1995 event said they hoped to rekindle the spirit of the Million Man March. But there was little of the back-slapping reunion feel of a decade ago, or the constant focus on the number of attendees.

Farrakhan refused to speculate on how many people attended. But authorities at the scene -- who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they do not officially give crowd counts -- said they estimated that about 100,000 people attended.

Police said they made no arrests, and U.S. Park Police Chief Dwight E. Pettiford said his officers experienced no problems. "All we did today was give out information and directions," he said.