By Damion Boycott
Twenty years ago when Minister Louis Farrakhan announced he was planning a million black man march in Washington D.C. he met with a mixed reaction. Many supported the idea, many others criticized the idea. Our great grandmaster teacher Dr. John Henrik Clarke said "as African people we have gotten enough out of the strategy of marching." We went on to say that "marching is nothing but a waste of shoe leather."
Dr. Clarke was right. Twenty years after the first Million Man March, not much has changed for African people in America. We are still destined to represent the permanent under class, we are still killing each other in large numbers and we are still getting murdered by the Police with impunity. What of any lasting effect has The Million Man March produced?
The only thing marching, demonstrating and rallying does is let your oppressor know he is still in charge. One hundred years ago The Honourable Marcus Garvey told us what we need to do as African people. He taught the ideas of self sufficiency, racial pride and self respect. He also encouraged black entrepreneurship and created a program that lent money to small start-up black owned businesses.
The theme of the most recent incarnation of The Million Man March is "Justice Or Else". Or else what? Begging or threatening your oppressor to change does not facilitate change. Frederick Douglas said "power concedes nothing without a demand." In a capitalist county you demand change by way of what Martin Luther King called "economic withdrawal", or what is coming known as economic boycott. Every year we hear some in the black community say that Christmas is cancelled, yet Christmas comes and goes like it does every year. The department stores and all retail outlets wax rich from Christmas like clock work each time.
Since nothing has changed since the first Million Man March, it is probably safe to say nothing will change after today’s march. The Million Man March and events like it are just a "rap and clap". Black people get together to do some rapping and clapping, then everyone goes home and nothing changes. What will be the plan of action after today's event. If there is no action plan, the entire event is a colossal waste of time. If there is a plan of action, lets see if we can get black people to commit to it for a sustained period of time. If not, it will just be another mass gathering of black people with no positive result.