Penn students, faculty united for Million Man March on Capitol

When Wharton sophomore Brandale Randolph returned to campus after attending the Million Man March in Washington, D.C., he was still in awe of the camaraderie he witnessed at the event. Randolph was one of many University students, faculty and administrators in attendance at the march Monday. The march was organized by Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam. "The march gave me more confidence in my brothers and in my people," Randolph said. "It is wonderful to think that Washington was filled with African American men positively representing our community." Much controversy has arisen over the number of people who attended the march. By 9 a.m., the organizers reported that the crowd had already surpassed the one million mark and by the end of the event they reported numbers had reached two million. But the Federal Park Service reported only 400,000 people in attendance. "Crowd counts have always been a problem at every march I have attended and clearly underestimating the size of the crowd serves the political agenda of those who do not support the purpose of the march," said Jim Gray, tri-chairperson for the African American Association for Administrators, Faculty and Staff. Although Farrakhan's message was one of love and unity, his role in the march created controversy because of his anti-Semitic comments. "I applaud the work that the Nation of Islam has done in the community but at first I was not going to go to the march because of Farrakhan,"said Walter Benjamin, coordinator of on-campus programs for the Admissions Office. "But the march was so much bigger than just him--it was actually a fulfillment of Malcolm X's dream. It was important from a historical standpoint to say I was there." The organizers of the march also came under fire for failing to extend an invitation to African American women -- in essence urging them to support the men from home. Stephanie Robinson, the afternoon desk receptionist for the W.E.B. DuBois College House, said she supported the role women were asked to play at the event. "I wish that more women could have been there, but I believe the women would have outnumbered the men and it was important for African American men to take a stand," Robinson said. The purpose of the march was for African American men to atone for their behavior in the past and begin taking responsibility for each other, their families and their communities, according to Howard Stevenson, DuBois faculty master and an assistant professor of education. Engineering sophomore Anthony Crawford said the event strengthened his pride in the African American community. "It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in my life," he said. "If you are constantly bombarded with the media's stereotypes of African American men, you begin to think the stereotypes are normal. "Then when you see African Americans sharing brotherly love like that, it is powerful," he added. College sophomore Jamal Harris said the event will have a powerful impact on Americans as a whole. "I was impressed that our actions left the media with no choice but to cover the march in a positive light," he said. Gray said the implications of the march are far reaching. "This was not only a political and cultural experience but also a spiritual one," Gray said. "The spirit of the march is definitely continuing on in our everyday lives."

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