Million Woman March

Last updated

The Million Woman March was a grassroots protest march for Black women in America that took place on October 25, 1997 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [1] [2] [3] The event was organized by local store owner Phile Chionesu and public housing activist Asia Coney, [1] [4] who worked independently of national organizations and spread awareness largely through the internet, flyers, local women's organizations, and word-of-mouth. [2] [5]

Contents

The event drew between 500,000 and over two million people to Benjamin Franklin Parkway, [6] [7] [8] and is considered one of the largest demonstrations in American history. [2] [6] The organizers' 12-point platform included demands for an end to homelessness; support for currently and formerly-incarcerated Black women; improvements to education, health care, poverty, and services fighting addiction; an independent investigation into allegations of CIA drug trafficking; and the release of political prisoners such as Mumia Abu-Jamal. [1] [2] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Overview

The march was founded and formulated by Phile Chionesu, a grassroots activist, human rights advocate, black nationalist/freedom fighter, and owner of an African crafts shop. She was not associated with any national black organizations. [3] After several months of underground organizing, Chionesu asked Asia Coney to join her as national co-chair. [13]

Sister Souljah in Philadelphia, 1997 Sister Souljah 1997.jpeg
Sister Souljah in Philadelphia, 1997

The march started from the Liberty Bell and ended at the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, [14] with scheduled hours of prayer, speeches, and music. [3] [8] Speakers at the event included Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the ex-wife of Nelson Mandela; Congresswoman Maxine Waters; Sista Souljah; Jada Pinkett Smith; Attallah and Ilyasah Shabazz, the daughters of Malcolm X; and Dr. Dorothy Height. A message was read from Assata Shakur from her exile home of Cuba. [15]

The march has been considered a social phenomenon due to its organizers' grassroots organizing and lack of support from national organizations. [13] [16] They shared information via media coordinators like BWN NJ Delegate Stacey Chambers, Alpha Kappa Alpha,[ citation needed ] and by word of mouth, flyers, Black-run media, the Internet, and a network of women's organizations. [14]

Attendance

Police estimates ranged from 300,000 to 1 million, whereas organizers estimated an attendance of 1.5 to over 2 million. [17] [8] [3] A study provided by the University of Pennsylvania that made use of aerial footage, photos, and other research data and information obtained from news and other sources, indicates that the gathering drew at least 500,000 people.[ citation needed ] The attendees came despite cold temperatures and light rain, with signs throughout the march reading, "I am one in a million" and "Black Women: No more AIDS, abuse, addiction". [8]

Mission

The broader mission of the Million Woman March was for the self-determination of African American women through economic and political solidarity, [9] [18] with Chionesu saying, "We want to prepare our women, no matter what their status in life, to look at how we can begin to invest as black women and how we can begin to vote in blocs as black women." [8]

Many noted that while the Million Man March framed progress as requiring responsibility and "atonement," the Million Woman March organizers spoke more often of the need to change larger systems, such as the school, health care, education, and prison systems, as well as government entities like the CIA. [9] [2] [10] An investigation into the CIA's alleged involvement with drug trafficking, specifically of crack cocaine, was a focal point for speaker Maxine Waters and also the first of the organizers' twelve platform issues. [3] The protest also emphasized issues of environmental racism, a focus of Madikizela-Mandela's speech. [2] [3]

The march was also intended to draw attention to statistics demonstrating the marginalization of African American women, including that 94 out of 1,000 African American teenage girls are victims of violent crime [18] and African American women are eighteen times more likely to get AIDS than white women; in 1996, African American women earned $30 less than African American men per week, and $40 less than white women. [18]

The Million Woman March has continued its mission under the direction of the founder and national offices, going on to organize over 50 conferences, over 100 forums, 12 years of online radio broadcasts, and many social justice protests for women and African-American women. [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winnie Madikizela-Mandela</span> South African activist and politician (1936–2018)

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, also known as Winnie Mandela, was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, and the second wife of Nelson Mandela. She served as a Member of Parliament from 1994 to 2003, and from 2009 until her death, and was a deputy minister of arts and culture from 1994 to 1996. A member of the African National Congress (ANC) political party, she served on the ANC's National Executive Committee and headed its Women's League. Madikizela-Mandela was known to her supporters as the "Mother of the Nation".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albertina Sisulu</span> South African anti-apartheid activist (1918–2011)

Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu OMSG was a South African anti-apartheid activist, and the wife of fellow activist Walter Sisulu (1912–2003). She was affectionately known as "Ma Sisulu" throughout her lifetime by the South African public. In 2004 she was voted 57th in the SABC3's Great South Africans. She died on 2 June 2011 in her home in Linden, Johannesburg, South Africa, aged 92.

A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to implement change at the local, regional, national, or international levels. Grassroots movements are associated with bottom-up, rather than top-down decision-making, and are sometimes considered more natural or spontaneous than more traditional power structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Million Man March</span> 1995 demonstration by African-American men in Washington, D.C.

The Million Man March was a large gathering of African-American men in Washington, D.C., on October 16, 1995. Called by Louis Farrakhan, it was held on and around the National Mall. The National African American Leadership Summit, a leading group of civil rights activists and the Nation of Islam working with scores of civil rights organizations, including many local chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People formed the Million Man March Organizing Committee. The founder of the National African American Leadership Summit, Benjamin Chavis Jr., served as National Director of the Million Man March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ella Baker</span> African-American civil rights activist

Ella Josephine Baker was an African-American civil rights and human rights activist. She was a largely behind-the-scenes organizer whose career spanned more than five decades. In New York City and the South, she worked alongside some of the most noted civil rights leaders of the 20th century, including W. E. B. Du Bois, Thurgood Marshall, A. Philip Randolph, and Martin Luther King Jr. She also mentored many emerging activists, such as Diane Nash, Stokely Carmichael, and Bob Moses, as leaders in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

Necklacing is a method of extrajudicial summary execution and torture carried out by forcing a rubber tire drenched with petrol around a victim's chest and arms, and setting it on fire. The term "necklace" originated in the 1980s in black townships of apartheid South Africa where suspected apartheid collaborators were publicly executed in this fashion.

The Millions More Movement was launched by a broad coalition of African American leaders to mark the commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the Million Man March. A mass march on Washington, DC, was held on October 15, 2005, to galvanize public support for the movement's goals. The march was open to men, women, and children and focused on creating lasting relationships between participating individuals, faith-based organizations, and community institutions. The movement only rallied a few thousand protesters and was seen as a disappointment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlene Mitchell</span> American politician (1930–2022)

Charlene Alexander Mitchell was an American international socialist, feminist, labor and civil rights activist. In 1968, she became the first Black woman candidate for President of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Mother Moore</span> American Pan-African activist (1898–1997)

Queen Mother Moore was an African-American civil rights leader and a black nationalist who was friends with such civil rights leaders as Marcus Garvey, Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela, Rosa Parks, and Jesse Jackson. She was a figure in the American Civil Rights Movement and a founder of the Republic of New Afrika. Dr. Delois Blakely was her assistant for 20 years. Blakely was later enstooled in Ghana as a Nana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African National Congress Women's League</span> Political party

The African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) is an auxiliary women's political organization of the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa. This organization has its precedent in the Bantu Women's League, and it oscillated from being the Women's Section to the Women's League from its founding, through the exile years, and in a post-apartheid South Africa. After women were allowed to become members of the ANC in 1943, the ANCWL was created as the means by which Black South African women could contribute to the national liberation struggle by channeling Black women's political activity into the ANC by way of the ANCWL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonginkosi Madikizela</span> South African politician

Bonginkosi Success Madikizela is a South African politician.

Amina Cachalia, OLB was a South African anti-Apartheid activist, women's rights activist, and politician. She was a longtime friend and ally of former President Nelson Mandela. Her late husband was political activist Yusuf Cachalia.

The 50th National Conference of the African National Congress (ANC) took place from 16 to 20 December 1997 at the University of the North West in what was then called Mafikeng. Attended by 3,000 voting delegates, the conference elected a successor to outgoing ANC President Nelson Mandela, who declined to stand for another term. Thabo Mbeki was elected unopposed, and Jacob Zuma was elected unopposed as his deputy; they were later elected President and Deputy President of the country in the 1999 general elections, in which the ANC won 66.35% of the vote, up from 62.65% in 1994.

Until 1950, African Americans were a small but historically important minority in Boston, where the population was majority white. Since then, Boston's demographics have changed due to factors such as immigration, white flight, and gentrification. According to census information for 2010–2014, an estimated 180,657 people in Boston are Black/African American, either alone or in combination with another race. Despite being in the minority, and despite having faced housing, educational, and other discrimination, African Americans in Boston have made significant contributions in the arts, politics, and business since colonial times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zindzi Mandela</span> South African diplomat and poet (1960–2020)

Zindziswa "Zindzi" Mandela, also known as Zindzi Mandela-Hlongwane, was a South African diplomat and poet, and the daughter of anti-apartheid activists and politicians Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Zindzi was the youngest and third of Nelson Mandela's three daughters, including sister Zenani Mandela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Women's March</span> Worldwide political rallies for womens rights

The Women's March was a worldwide protest on January 21, 2017, the day after the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president. It was prompted by Trump's policy positions and rhetoric, which were considered misogynistic and represented a threat to the rights of women. It was the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. The goal of the annual marches is to advocate legislation and policies regarding human rights and other issues, including women's rights, immigration reform, healthcare reform, disability justice, reproductive rights, the environment, LGBTQ rights, racial equality, freedom of religion, workers' rights and tolerance. According to organizers, the goal was to "send a bold message to our new administration on their first day in office, and to the world that women's rights are human rights".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Priscilla Jana</span> South African human rights lawyer (1943–2020)

Devikarani Priscilla Sewpal Jana was a South African human rights lawyer, politician and diplomat. As a member of the African National Congress (ANC) during the anti-apartheid movement, she participated in both legal activism as well as in the underground movement to end apartheid. She represented many significant figures in the movement, including South African president Nelson Mandela, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Steve Biko, Govan Mbeki, Walter Sisulu, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Jana was one of the very few South Africans who had access to political prisoners, including Mandela, in the maximum security Robben Island prison, and served as an emissary for coded messages between the political prisoners and the ANC leadership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation</span> Non-profit organization

The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to promoting the Black Lives Matter movement. The organization is often mistaken for other organizations within the Black Lives Matter movement because it often solely employs the phrase "Black Lives Matter" as its name and it also owns the domain name "blacklivesmatter.com" as its official website. While BLMGN often simply calls itself "Black Lives Matter," it is not the sole organization within the broader Black Lives Matter social movement. It is, however, the largest and most well-funded, and it also claims to speak on behalf of the movement. Efforts which were started in late 2020 by its then Executive Director Patrisse Cullors began to centralize its operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jews for Racial and Economic Justice</span> American Jewish left-wing organization

Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) is an American left-wing non-profit grassroots Jewish organization. JFREJ describes itself as a "movement to dismantle racism and economic exploitation" and is based in New York City. It operates both a 501(c)(3), also known as JFREJ Community and a 501(c)(4) known as JFREJ Action.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Fletcher, Michael A.; Brown, DeNeen L. (October 24, 1997). "Anticipation, Hopes Build For Million Woman March". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Campbell, Horace (1997). "The Million Woman March". Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity (35): 86–89. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Janofsky, Michael (October 26, 1997). "At Million Woman March, Focus Is on Family". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ Oliver, Pamela (January 28, 2023). "Organizing the Million Woman March". Race, Politics, Justice. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  5. ↑ Everett, Anna (2009). Digital Diaspora: A Race for Cyberspace. Albany: SUNY Press. pp. 49–78. ISBN   978-0-7914-7674-1 . Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Garfield, Leanna; Ettinger, Zoë (June 1, 2020). "14 of the biggest marches and protests in American history". Business Insider. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  7. ↑ White, Deborah Gray; Bay, Mia; Martin, Waldo E. (2013). Freedom on My Mind. Bedford/St. Martin's. p. 746. ISBN   978-0-312-64884-8.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Million Woman March fills Philadelphia streets". CNN. October 25, 1997. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 "Crowds Gather in Philadelphia to Take Part in Million Woman March". LA Times. October 25, 1997. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Moorehead, Monica (November 6, 1997). "Million Women March: Black women seek unity". Workers World. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  11. ↑ Janofsky, Michael (October 23, 1997). "Million Women March Is Set With High Hopes". The New York Times. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  12. ↑ Fletcher, Michael A.; Brown, DeNeen L. (October 26, 1997). "We Are Countless In Unity". Washington Post. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Russ, Valerie (October 26, 2022). "On its 25th anniversary, organizers pledge another Million Woman March next year". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Jones, Ashley (February 26, 2008). "Million Woman March, 1997". BlackPast.org . Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Opinions on Million Woman March". Write Opinions. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  16. ↑ "On This Day: The Million Woman March Took Place in Philadelphia". Ebony. October 25, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Million Woman March". Democracy Now!. October 27, 1997. Archived from the original on September 13, 2007.
  18. 1 2 3 Alex-Assensoh, Y. M.; Hanks, L. J. (2000). Black and Multiracial Politics in America. New York City: New York City Press. pp. 376–377. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  19. ↑ "On This Day: The Million Woman March". Publishing the Long Civil Rights Movement. UNC-Chapel Hill. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.