COLUMN: Don't forget the lessons of the march

From Davina Figeroux, "Say It Ain't So," Fall '97 From Davina Figeroux, "Say It Ain't So," Fall '97 Last Saturday, history was made in Philadelphia with the Million Woman March. Women from all over the world gathered on Ben Franklin Parkway to rally for the same cause: unity among black women and for the improvement of conditions under which black Americans live. The handful of men I know who attended the Million Man March have yet to work toward bettering their lives. The whole scenario reminded me of church. Some people think that just going is enough to prove one's dedication to a cause and that those who do not go, must not care about the cause. Having been called several people's favorite feminist, there is no doubt in my mind I would be interested in something which attempts to make positive changes in the lives of black women. But I could not figure out why I was not very motivated to attend. Basically, I knew I was going, but I wasn't sure why. The idea of assembling a million black women together with hopes of changing their status in America just seemed very unlikely to me, in light of my personal interaction with black females. Black-on- black crime is still occurring, and the black family is still in jeopardy. Did I think the march could begin to change these problems? Was this comparable to the Civil Rights Movement? I just did not see the Million Woman March having the power to revolutionize the place of black women in society. Regardless, I put aside my comparisons to the men's march and decided if women are willing to gather for the march, they should be willing to become part of the solution to some of our problems. I attended the march, happy to see the turnout, and found it funny that a friend told me it would be like a Penn football game: lots of people at the same place for the same cause, excited about all the spirit they were generating. And it really was like a football game. The togetherness inspired many people, and I even found myself cheering for no reason other than to follow along with the people around me, something I do at football games since I often don't know what's going on. In this case, many people could not hear but would still applaud when necessary. I made my way through the massive crowd, in an attempt to get closer to speakers. In the process, I was bombarded with fliers, which I expected to be related to the march, but instead were things like "Rita's Upholstering" and "Dee's Hair Care Products." I didn't realize the march was an outlet for advertising. (Hey, where are my DJ Divine business cards when I need them?) I'm not saying people who try to put in a plug for their business are not sincerely interested in women's concerns but it just wasn't appropriate, even if they were advertising for businesses of black women. The incidents with the fliers helped me pinpoint my exact problem with the event. I agree there is strength in numbers but I would rather have seen an assembly of a 100 people devoted to making a change than a million when that number includes many who are not wholeheartedly concerned about the cause. And I'm not saying there were only a hundred women sincerely interested. I doubt people would travel far distances for nothing more than a walk along the parkway. I just want to see a continued long-lasting effort to improve our conditions as black women. Here at Penn, I've seen a lot of pseudo-concerned women and it's gotten to the point that fair-weather views are too common. The march was a great start, but black women need to continue. Bringing together all of those powerful speakers like Winnie Mandela means nothing if their messages will be forgotten the next day or the next week. We need to unify ourselves first on this campus and eventually in this country. The African American Resource Center and Penn Women's Center, in addition to having held pre- and post-march activities, is in the process of organizing a women's group to sustain the spirit of the march. This is the type of unit that we need. I believe people who are genuinely interested in making a change in their lives or the lives of black women will do it, march or no march. I am grateful for any event that has even a remote chance of improving the situation but the emphasis needs to be on continuing to integrate the lessons learned at the march. Only then will we be able to see any positive changes in ourselves as individuals or as a group.