Friday, October 16, 2015 marks the twentieth anniversary of the Million Man March. On that date in 1995, nearly as many African-American men from across the United States convened on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., drawing attention to and demonstrating unity against the economic and social injustices faced by the African-American community.
Proposed by Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, the historic event was intended in part to counter media stereotypes by promoting a more positive image of African-American men. Attendees pledged personal responsibility for their roles within their families and society.
These images come from a collection of more than 900 photographs taken by Eugene B. Redmond, a poet, scholar, and professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (pictured above at the march with MC Hammer). The photos can be viewed online in the EBR Million Man March digital collection, which visually documents Redmond’s experience before, during, and after the event. The digital exhibition “Path to Visible Glory” features additional materials from the Redmond Collection (now housed at SIUE’s Lovejoy Library), including manuscripts, audio files, and ephemera.
In commemoration of the march, SIUE Library and Information Services has invited the public to contribute information about the event and those in attendance by adding tags to the digital collection. To participate, visit http://www.siue.edu/lovejoylibrary/tas/MMM_20th.htm. Tagging will be open through the end of November.
To learn more about the Million Man March, listed below are highlights from the Booth Library collection. Additional resources can be found via I-Share, our consortial partners providing EIU library users with access to more than 85 academic libraries across Illinois.
Best, Felton O., editor. Black Religious Leadership from the Slave Community to the Million Man March. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 1998.
BR563.N4 B574 1998 (3000 Level)
Cottman, Michael H. Million Man March. New York: Crown Trade Paperbacks, 1995.
E185.86 .C68x 1995 (3000 Level)
Madhubuti, Haki R., and Maulana Karenga, editors. Million Man March/Day of Absence: A Commemorative Anthology. Chicago: Third World Press, 1996.
E185.86 .M54 1996x (3000 Level)
Newton, Judith. From Panthers to Promise Keepers: Rethinking the Men’s Movement. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005.
HQ1090.3 .N493 2005 (3000 Level)
WGBH Educational Foundation. The Two Nations of Black America. Alexandria, VA: PBS Home Video, 2008.
E185.8 .T96x 2008 .DVD (4000 Level)
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