East St. Louis groups preach unity on 30th anniversary of the Million Man March
Earl Muhammad, an East St. Louis community leader and secretary of Muhammad Mosque 28B, said he is the man he is today because of the Million Man March.
Surrounded by roughly a million other Black men at the National Mall on Oct. 16, 1995, the then 32-year-old Muhammad was inspired by how people of all faiths and regions gathered peacefully. Together, they pledged to live a life free from violence and drugs and to better their communities.
“I do what I do today because of what happened 30 years ago,” Muhammad said. “I’m involved with my community because of what happened 30 years ago. I’m a business owner because of what happened 30 years ago. I’m a mentor to the youth because of what took place 30 years ago.”
Muhammad hoped to channel that same spirit in East St. Louis this weekend. Mosque 28B and the Chosen Ones East St. Louis, a citizen advocacy group that Muhammad helps lead, brought together community members, churches and other advocacy groups to commemorate the march’s milestone anniversary on both Saturday and Sunday.
Originally, attendees were going to march through East St. Louis on Saturday, but with the storms they decided to hold a panel discussion with original march participants. There, they reflected on current and historic events.
Chosen Ones President Gloria Hicks said it was important to bring together various community organizations because more can be accomplished together than alone.
“We may not have the exact same goals, but the most important thing to remember is that we are one,” said Robin Carey-Boyd, president of the East St. Louis chapter of the NAACP.
Ultimately, Hicks said she wanted the weekend’s events to inspire ways to quell crime and gun violence, as well as foster respect between generations. She said she hopes to continue the united front with regular meetings.
Stephanie Bush, who founded and manages East St. Louis nonprofit Community Development Sustainable Solutions, said now is the time to use their unity to propel policy change.
“If you’re not at the table, you’re what’s for dinner,” Bush said. “When we first came together it was about unity. Thirty years later, it’s about policy. We’ve been builders, now it’s time for policy. Stop moving our lips, start moving our hips.”
With over 10 hours of camaraderie and famous speakers including Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King III, Maya Angelou and Cornel West, the original Million Man March attendees left ready to be better husbands, fathers, role models and men in general, Muhammad said. He witnessed crime decrease, people adopting children and new organizations forming.
That lasted for a few years, Muhammad said, making this weekend’s events long overdue.
“We took a pledge, and one of the problems is we didn’t fulfill it,” Muhammad said. “The children don’t even know any of the history of the Million Man March. Maybe this can be a reminder of what you can do when you’re united.”
East St. Louis City Manager Robert Betts, who attended Saturday’s event as well as the 1995 march, said now is a particularly pivotal time to revisit the march’s mission.
“I can’t tell you how important it is that we do this,” Betts said. “We see what Trump is doing in Chicago and the rest of the country. Black folks might be next.”
