History of the Million Man March: A Major African American Post-Civil Rights Accomplishment

Abstract

This senior thesis is an overview of the lives of African American men in the 1990s. A major event occurred during this period, The Million Man March was this event that occurred during 1995 of October. Different leaders and groups played a (historical/significant) role in shaping African American men during this time. Leaders such as Elijah Muhamad and Louis Farrakhan framed the Nation of Islam (NOI), an organization for black pride and atonement for black men. Bill McCartney sought to bring pride to other males from setting up an organization such as the Promise Keepers (1990). These two groups, while they seem on opposite ends of the spectrum, aligned together and played a major role in framing the objective of the Million Man March and Stand In the Gap rally. While receiving criticism from the public and media, this march had a positive impact for African Americans and was considered a success. This march, led by Louis Farrakhan, had 400,000 people in attendance at Washington D.C. From the events leading up to this march, along with the aftermath, it created a sense of responsibility and atonement for black males everywhere.