A large group of black men made the news on Monday. Remarkably, they were not a gang, a music group or a football team. The Million Man March was the first time in recent memory that the media, the government and the country paid attention to African-Americans for doing something positive. That, not Louis Farrakhan's revelations on numerology or biblical interpretation, was what made the day important. Critics who elevate Farrakhan further by making him the focus of the march miss the point.
Detractors are correct in attacking Farrakhan's deplorable attitudes toward Jews, gays and women. Because of these views, he will never represent more than a small fraction of African-Americans, and his few positive contributions will continue to be overshadowed by his broader message of hate.
Farrakhan, though, was probably the only person who could organize such a march. Scandal and infighting consume the NAACP, and few other black politicians can command the national attention. His anti-Semitic remarks make the front page, but constructive actions by Kweisi Mfume or John Lewis go unnoticed.
But the Million Man March was not Louis Farrakhan's event. He deserves credit for articulating the message of atonement and self-renewal, but many who reject his bigotry came for their own reasons. The 400,000 who attended the march are no less capable than anyone else of separating Farrakhan's inane conspiracy theories from the need for spiritual growth.
Farrakhan's personal stature may be heightened by the march, but his views will not. If black men heed his call to action, they will create stronger leaders who drown out the Nation of Islam. As anyone who heard his rambling, incoherent keynote speech can attest, this won't be hard.
President Clinton's speech timed to coincide with the march was surprisingly thoughtful. He passed up the opportunity to merely attack Farrakhan as he did Sister Souljah; instead, he challenged both races to reject divisive elements and encouraged Americans to create racial understanding at a personal level, while singling out Farrakhan for criticism. The speech was a serious attempt to deal with America's racial divide.
By contrast, the Republicans, reminding us that they see race merely as a political tool, took the march as a partisan opportunity. Ignoring the President's message entirely, several GOP lawmakers nit-picked at Clinton's speech for not mentioning Farrakhan by name, though he obviously meant Farrakhan when he said that the march should not justify "one man's message of malice and division."
Bob Dole said that "all those who lead must say [that Farrakhan] has no place in American public life." True leadership requires more, though. Public officials also have a responsibility to fill the void that creates Farrakhans and David Dukes, something in which Dole has no interest. Similarly, Newt Gingrich's press secretary called the speech "a classic Clinton straddle and a disgraceful one." Even a racist like Louis Farrakhan recognizes the need for change on both sides. Gingrich thinks that the best approach to race is to pick a side; challenging both is a "straddle."
For the most part, the march did challenge its participants. Many decried white racism, but all acknowledged that blacks could do more for themselves. Some speakers did, however, focus excessively on racism and neglected the march's message of self-improvement.
But even these criticisms have foundation. Slavery was real, and racial disparity is well-documented in courts, employment and education. They are at least as credible as the assertion that meager economic gains by women and minorities are unfair attacks on white men, an assertion upon which Pete Wilson built a presidential campaign.
By even raising the issue of atonement, Farrakhan bested Clinton and the Republicans, who are quick to tout responsibility for others but insist that their middle-class white constituencies are blameless. The march was a recognition by 400,000 black men that they can do better for themselves, their families and their communities. If only we could do the same.
That the march was viewed as an attempt to elevate Farrakhan's political stature speaks well of African-Americans. A politician organizing a Day of Atonement for white men would hardly improve his position. He would be lucky to only be impeached.
Louis Farrakhan is a repugnant personality and can hardly be called a leader. But he earned the attention he received on Monday. Bringing 400,000 people together to atone for their own sins and encouraging his listeners to take responsibility for their own problems was something none of his critics would even try.
