The second Million Man March happened two weeks ago in Washington D.C. The first march in 1995 was inspired and led by the Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam. The gathering intended to have a million black men declare “their right to justice.” The gathering also welcomed people from all backgrounds to come and support, according to Nation of Islam website.

I must admit, I experienced a feeling of disbelief when I found out I would attend the second march, because I could not imagine being a part of history. Luckily for several students, including myself, the Black Student Union (BSU) helped sponsor those who were interested in going to this event.

For the second Million Man March, there was tagline with the message: Justice or Else. My initial reaction to Justice or Else was what did “or else” really mean? What I discovered, after standing for five hours on that hot sunny Saturday morning, in front of the U.S. Capitol is that Justice or Else means minorities in America coming together as one to better educate youth who also must fight injustice.

My opinion, however, wasn’t the only one held by St. Lawrence students. Other BSU members I went with approached the Justice or Else a bit differently. Nyima Dejesus ‘16, for example, said: “the speeches really touched my heart because it called for a union of all minority groups, which is lacking amongst minorities of our generation [who actually highlight differences between different groups]. The audience was also another indicator of this underlying theme; people of different ethnicities and religions were present in both spirit and mind.”

Luize Eihmane ’16 agreed with the sense of unity saying, “The Million Man March was by far one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had. To see and feel so much unity, peace, love and light is something that I will never be able to put into words.”

She also emphasized the important mobilizing aspect of the March saying: “Being here in the privileged SLU bubble it is easy to forget that there are actually plenty of people out there who think like me and are fighting every day to create a more just world for everyone. The event was about injustice and oppression everywhere, from Palestine to the streets of Washington DC – oppression anywhere is oppression everywhere and we won’t stand for it – Justice or else!” Eihmane also said that “it is important to note how LITTLE media coverage this event received and how absolutely peaceful it was”.

Dejesus said that being enrolled in the Government 351 course titled “African American Political and Social Thoughts” brought to mind not only the current issues that the country faces, but also “all of the issues of famous abolitionist and black theorist that still resonate with issues facing blacks and other minorities in the U.S. today. I believe that made the theme of the Million Men March even more powerful because it shows that we have waited long enough and now we want justice or else.”

In the end, I was glad to have had such a surreal and rewarding experience.

Courtesy of hyblackman.com