A Reflect
ion on the 2015 Million Man March: Justice Or Else!
Saturday, October 10, 2015 marked the twentieth anniversary of the Million Man March. Organized by the Nation of Islam’s leader, Minister Louis Farrakhan, the original March held on October 16, 1995 was the first and largest mass mobilization of men from the African diaspora. For this year’s March entitled Million Man March: Justice Or Else!, Talent Development (TD) staff members, Robert Britto-Oliveira and Wynston Wilson, approximately forty other people ranging from TD alumni and members of the community chartered a bus to the National Mall in Washington,DC.
Robert recalls watching the first March on television when he was in the seventh grade. He also recalls being intrigued by the speeches and his interest deepening further after watching Spike Lee’s film, Get on the Bus. In 2015, as a History major and Africana Studies minor, Robert could not pass up on the opportunity to witness this occasion firsthand.
According to Robert, this year’s March was truly inspiring, and he learned a great deal from the 
event. The three most significant concepts that he walked away with were:
- A greater sense of solidarity amongst marginalized populations and our allies. There were all kinds of people representing various races, genders, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, sexual orientations, etc. It was moving to see so many different people unite for a common cause.
- An increased commitment to contributing to the changes I feel are necessary in our communities. This event was noted to be a Movement, not a moment. I took everything that I gained from my attendance at Justice
Or Else! and brought it back to share with those who were not present and as a building point for those who were.
- A network of people equally interested and invested in the cause. While I already knew a number of people on the bus, there were just as many on board whom I had never met. Sharing this experie
nce with them led to in-depth conversations and the formation of new relationships. We exchanged contact information and continue to build on what we took from the event in addition to discuss how we can contribute towards the Justice Or Else! Movement.
For more information, visit the Justice Or Else! website: http://www.justiceorelse.com/
