30 years ago, the Million Man March gathered over 400,000 Black men at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to unite against social inequality and promote Black unity. The event highlighted the importance of community, bringing together people from all around the D.C. area, including Penn community members. 1998 Wharton graduate Brandale Randolph, W.E.B. Du Bois College House desk receptionist Stephanie Robinson, and 1998 Engineering graduate Anthony Crawford are just a few Penn affiliates who attended the march.
A participant at the Million Man March in Washington D.C.
While the initial march garnered much political and social awareness, many found its impact on the structural issues lacking. Former Daily Pennsylvanian columnist and 2005 graduate from the Graduate School of Education Vinay Harpalani praised the message of the Million Man March but commented on the lack of a systemic call to action.
On Oct. 26, Philly Truce, an organization focused on empowering Black men to contend with systemic inequities and promoting community safety, concluded their week-long commemoration of the Million Man March’s 30th anniversary with a 5k march. The crowd of around 1,500 ended in LOVE Park to listen to a lineup of speakers advocating for the Black Philadelphian community.
Mazzie Casher, co-founder and executive director of Philly Truce said, “The 30th anniversary of Million Man March should not — and thank God it did not — get by us without being commemorated.”
Beyond the commemoration, a volunteer with Philly Truce said the organization also focuses on providing job opportunities to youth and patrolling areas of Philadelphia prone to gun violence.
Many community members and local organizations also attended in support of the commemoration, including WURD, Philadelphia’s only Black-owned radio station.
A WURD employee who was tabling at the event said, “We try to uphold those same values and beliefs that they held back then 30 years ago ourselves. We want to come out here and show our support, our solidarity, and also expand our message, the legacy of the march itself...(and) reaffirm to our people that we have a community available to us.”
