The "EveryBody" Insider
Communicating the Concerns of Black People

Seven Years and Still Marching
By Kevin Johnson

During a recent visit to Longview I attended the Harambee Festival at the Broughton Recreation Center.  The festival was a gathering representing the pulling together of the community for fellowship and celebration and for the uplift of the children.

I recalled that Longview's first Harambee celebration was held in 1994 while I was still a resident of South Longview and a member of the Harambee steering committee.  The weather was rainy at both the first and the most recent festival but that did not prevent achievement of success.

As a current resident of Baytown, TX, I find my Longview visits to be like small reunions.  This particular 2002 reunion caused me to reflect on the 1994 Harambee in South Longview and upon another much larger gathering I attended in 1995 in Washington, D.C.

Before I heard of the call for the (Oct 16, 1995) Million Man March I had friends in South Longview struggling with the issues of jobs, education, crime, etc.  Some of us in South Longview felt that we were looked upon in a negative light in spite our best efforts to correct what we could.  I suppose that other "South Longview's" across the nation also experienced similar concerns or troubles.

Then there was the issue of race and gender.  It seemed that on top of being in a less favored part of town we, Black males ( some of us), felt that a disproportionate amount of negative publicity was directed at each of us. 

Watching TV was painful in that you would only see the Black male when there was a crime report or sports report. This environment left the Black male longing for a way to show the world that he really is not much different from anyone else.

When I heard the call for the Million Man March, I was intrigued.  The call for the march then became a discussion topic.  I researched and questioned those closest to me, both male and female, both family and friends.  My conclusion was that I go to Washington, D.C. and be one of the few hundred or few thousand to gather at the mall.

On the morning of Oct 16, 1995 I walked out of my hotel room in Alexandria, VA. to a world that became heavily Black male dominated.  As I was transported closer and closer to the Washington ,D.C. mall, the more I saw Black males.  Each one was as surprised and pleased to see me as I was to see him.  Just seeing each other in a state of peace was reassuring and comforting. Finally, I realized that there were far more Black men going to that mall than I could have imagined.  As history shows, the turnout for the Million Man March was far more than remarkable.

The main points I took from the event was not the political rhetoric and opinions expressed from the stage but the experience of being part of a peaceful body of massive proportions showing the world that for at least one day a large group of Black men can get together and act like brothers.  Maybe this principle can be expanded upon to include all peoples on all days and in all places.

I also take the spirit of the march to be the pledge that I'll summarize:

I pledge to love my brother as myself; to improve myself spiritually, morally, mentally, socially, politically, and economically; to strive to build businesses, houses, factories and enter into international trade; to never raise my hand with a knife or gun to beat cut or shoot anybody except in self-defense; to never abuse my wife by striking her or disrespecting her; to never abuse children for sexual gratification; to never use the "B" word to describe a female; to never poison my body with drugs or that which is destructive to my health; to support Black newspapers, Black radio, and Black television; to support Black artists who clean up their act to show respect for themselves and respect for their people and respect for the heirs of the human family.

As I left the 2002 Harambee festival in Longview another old friend greeted me in the parking lot.  After getting "caught up" with this friend and exchanging phone numbers, I drove away.  Then I remembered that he was one of the Longview residents that made that trip to D.C. in Oct. 1995.  He is still in the Longview community operating a business and being a decent citizen. 

It has been seven years since "The March"; but, we're still marching.