Accessibility links

Breaking News
USA

Rally to Mark 20th Anniversary of Million Man March


The Oct. 16, 1995 photograph (L) shows the National Mall in Washington and the crowd for the Million Man March. The photograph at right shows the crowd gathered on the National Mall Saturday, Oct. 15, 2005 for the Millions More Movement rally.
The Oct. 16, 1995 photograph (L) shows the National Mall in Washington and the crowd for the Million Man March. The photograph at right shows the crowd gathered on the National Mall Saturday, Oct. 15, 2005 for the Millions More Movement rally.

Thousands of people are expected in Washington, D.C., this weekend for the 20th anniversary of the "Million Man March."

In 1995, Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan called for African American men to come to Washington and pledge to be better husbands, fathers and leaders in their communities.

It was the fourth-largest demonstration in Washington history, and the largest predominantly black gathering.

Men and women of all races and faiths were invited this year to the 20th anniversary reprise Saturday, themed “Justice or Else!”

The goal, organizers say, is to incorporate calls for justice for deadly shootings of black men with the anniversary of the original gathering.

Attention has been focused on the relationship of African-American men with police and law enforcement since the fatal shootings of two black teenagers, Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watch volunteer in 2012 in Florida and Michael Brown during an altercation with a police officer in 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri.

Since then, deaths of other unarmed black males at the hands of law enforcement officers have inspired protests under the "Black Lives Matter'' moniker around the country.

Saturday's event will include a sunrise prayer service. Farrakhan will deliver the keynote address at 1 p.m.

  • 16x9 Image

    VOA News

    The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

XS
SM
MD
LG