Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan spoke at Atlanta's Fox Theater Sunday, October 15, 2016, for the 21st anniversary of the Million Man March, as the country faces a myriad of economic, social and political problems as well as a contentious 2016 campaign for the White House between GOP contender Donald J. Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.
The Million Man March, held on Oct. 16, 1995 was a national gathering of African-American men in Washington, D.C., to call for justice and to accept responsibility as the head of their families.
The Minister’s address concluded a weekend of activities that included A Day of Service, which was devoted to feeding, helping and partnering with residents in The Bluff, one of the city’s most challenged neighborhoods.
The Bluff is also the base of operations for the 10,000 Fearless, a budding initiative aimed at curbing violence and making Black communities decent places to live. The neighborhood-building work was announced at last year’s Justice Or Else! 20th anniversary of the Million Man March in Washington, D.C.
During his address to the sold-out crowd at The Fox Theatre, Farrakhan said the key to correcting the ills plaguing Black America is to control our own communities, owning land and setting up an all-Black political party.
“There is no future for us [Blacks] in trying to make the ‘American Dream,’ which is an illusion, work for us. We must separate into communities that we control and own,” he said.
“We have to take over our own neighborhoods. We have to take over the education because we can’t make our communities a decent and safe place to live under White supremacy teachings,” he continued.
After the event, Yvonne Oliver, a local real estate investor, stated her agreement with the Minister’s call to invest and build up the Black community.
“I am saddened by the state of Black economics. I’ve been purchasing property in The Bluff. I hope that more people will take heed to what the Minister said today and will start investing in property in areas throughout the city that have been abandoned,” Oliver said.
Ron Douglas added, “I have moved my money to a Black owned bank and I am also volunteering more in underserved areas. I’ve been teaching kids to code so they can create jobs for themselves through technology.”
“We have to take over our own neighborhoods. We have to take over the education because we can’t make our communities a decent and safe place to live under White supremacy teachings,” Farrakhan said during the 21st Anniversary of The Million Man March
Other weekend events during Minister Farrakhan’s stop in Atlanta included, A Day of Service and a gathering of various community groups and organizations who have moved out on Min. Farrakhan’s call. These local organizing committees have worked in neighborhoods, blocks and around the country setting up conflict resolution centers, conducting mediation and security training, planting gardens, cleaning up vacant lots and yards and distributing food and clothes, increasing support of Black-owned businesses and banks and other efforts.
Watch a replay of The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s Keynote Address Streamed from Atlanta, Ga. on the 21st Anniversary of the Million Man March, Sunday, October 16th from the Fox Theatre.
— Dr. Dionne Mahaffey is an Atlanta-based writer, business psychologist and founder of The WhereU app. Follow her on Twitter @ATLcelebrity @WhereUCameFrom. (Georgia Tva Parker and Rory Robinson contributed to this report.)