Columbus residents travel to D.C. for 20th anniversary of Million Man March

When the Million Man March was held 20 years ago, Brandon Hicks was only 13 years old.

He skipped school and watched the activities on TV, while older male relatives traveled to the nation's capital for the historic event.

"It was all about improving the black community," said the local barbershop owner, who lived in Davenport, Iowa, at the time. "It resonated with me as a young child and I found it very intriguing."

So on Friday, Hicks was among many Columbus residents who traveled to Washington for the "Justice or Else! Millions More March," which will be held today in commemoration of the 1995 march.

Hicks left early Friday morning with his wife, brother, nieces, nephews and some of his barbers. Others who traveled to Washington Friday included a group of about 17 Columbus State University students who went with the school's African American Male Initiative program; and about 50 people who traveled on a bus charted by the Millions More Movement Local Organizing Committee.

J. Aleem Hud, executive director of Project Rebound, is chairman of the group.

He said the groups traveling to the march represent a new generation that wants to make real change in the community.

In addition to those who traveled Friday, Hud said others left earlier in the week on two buses from Albany, Ga., and many are traveling on their own.

Hud said he expected more than 200 people from the Chattahoochee Valley to be in attendance.

The Million Man March was a gathering of African-American men in Washington on Oct. 16, 1995.

It was called by Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan Sr. as an effort for African-American men to seek justice and atone for their sins in the community.

The event also included leadership from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and other civil rights organizations.

In Columbus, local members of the Nation of Islam were instrumental in organizing the trip to today's event, which will have a family theme.

Hud said it also will emphasize the importance of people being leaders in the community and not depending on others to solve their problems.

He said Farrakhan has been struggling with medical problems, but he is expected to make a proclamation.

On Friday night, many people attended a pre-rally church service and a separate concert, featuring hip-hop recording artists such as Common and KRS-ONE.

"This is an effort to give (the youth) some understanding that there's not going to be a silver bullet about the culture of American society," Hud said.

"It's a history of violence, a history of discrimination. Yet, within all of that, (America) is still an experiment that is unfolding.

"And so they're going to have to understand that they're going to need to know how to organize and be as self-sufficient as possible, to be entrepreneurs and to use the resources at their disposal."

Hicks said he attended the 10-year commemoration of the march in 2005, and this time he's glad to have his wife and other relatives with him.

"It feels awesome," said the father of two children, ages 2 and 4. "I just wish that my daughters were old enough to be here."

Alva James-Johnson, 706-571-8521. Reach her on Facebook at AlvaJamesJohnsonLedger.

This story was originally published October 9, 2015 at 10:49 PM with the headline "Columbus residents travel to D.C. for 20th anniversary of Million Man March ."