ATLANTA (FinalCall.com)�Billed as �Two Marches, One Agenda,� the principle conveners of the Aug. 26, �Redeem the Dream March� and Oct. 16, �Million Family March� (MFM), Martin Luther King III, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Reverend Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network (NAN), and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan on July 24, at the Georgian Terrace Hotel, stood together to announce their endorsement and support of each march.

MFM National Director Min. Benjamin F. Muhammad opened the conference announcing the marches� vitals, telling the press gathered that the two national mobilizations share one agenda, �freedom, justice and equality for all.� He called the marches, �a new movement for change in America and throughout the world.�

Saying he was honored to be present at the news conference, Mr. King said the Million Family March teaches people to love themselves, family, community and most importantly to love God. He commended Min. Farrakhan and Rev. Sharpton for being men who work from a sense of conscience.

�These two giants of men have taken on issues not because they were safe, not because they were popular, but because their consciences have told them they�re right and I am honored to welcome them both to Atlanta and to join in supporting the Million Family March,� he said.

He called the MFM-effort extremely vital, pointing out that he, too, is a product of a single-parented household. �For the most part, I was raised in a single family household. My father was killed when I was 10-years-old,� he recalled. Over 50 percent of Black households are headed by single parents, the civil rights leader said.

Regarding the �Redeem the Dream March,� Mr. King said the SCLC has conducted 12 hearings on police brutality and misconduct over the past year. The march on Aug. 26 will focus on racial profiling and police brutality.

�The reality is enough is enough and we are not going to take it anymore. Around the concept of racial profiling we have come together, Rev. Sharpton and I, to call for a Redeem the Dream March on the 37th anniversary of the March on Washington.�

He reminded the press of his father�s words in 1963, at the March on Washington. At that march Dr. King said he hoped that his four little children could one day live in a nation and not be judge by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. �The tragedy is today in America in 2000, 37 years since that speech was delivered, African Americans are still judged by the color of their skin,� he said.

Offering to place the unity in context, Rev. Sharpton said, �In February of this year, the family of Elijah Muhammad reunited publicly with the family of the students of Elijah Muhammad in what is the traditional Saviours� Day. In the civil rights community, the children of Martin Luther King have united with the students of Martin Luther King to put together what will be the Redeem the Dream March.

�What you are witnessing today is the family and students of Martin Luther King and the family and students of Elijah Muhammad coming together in the 21st century for the liberation of our people.�

Rev. Sharpton said these marches are not lightweight in scope or consequence. �The ramifications of this will determine who will be the next president of this country and what will be the political agenda for millions of people in this country.�

Why a call for a Redeem the Dream March?

When the March on Washington occurred in 1963, the body of Dr. King�s speech, said Rev. Sharpton, was that America had given Blacks a check marked �insufficient funds.� �We still hold that check and it still has not been made good. In that context, we go back to Washington,� Rev. Sharpton said.

�We want an executive order on racial profiling and we want it from this president (Bill Clinton) and we want it at this time,� demanded Rev. Sharpton. �We will lay that agenda out on Aug. 26, and those that do not respond by the time we get our family together and come back on Oct. 16, we will (then) make the recommendations on where we�re going in November.�

In conjunction with �Redeem the Dream,� SCLC will host its 42nd Annual Convention Aug. 24-27, at the Crystal City Hyatt Regency in Arlington, Va.

�I spoke at the Million Man March. I said at that time that we were going home to get the rest of us. Min. Benjamin had already raised the idea of a Million Family March and Min. Farrakhan has called that. We are going to get the rest of the family and we�re going to be there Oct. 16, and we�re all going to be family again,� Rev. Sharpton asserted. �When the family comes together the children dream dreams and futures start blossoming and morality becomes the key of the day. We start turning around a people that were made to become destroyed and forgotten.�

It is in the spirit of atonement, reconciliation and maturity, said the reverend, that these three movements have now come together.

�This is a day that the Lord has made, so let us rejoice and be glad in it,� began Min. Farrakhan. �Our families, our ancestors rejoice today that the children of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the children of Elijah Muhammad and the followers of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the followers of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and those in the civil rights movement and those who preached for a nation to come together, are now together as one family fighting for the common cause of the total liberation of our people.�

Min. Farrakhan said that this unity was fostered by common cause, to fight against those evils that ill-effect Black people. He charged that America is self-destructing from an internal rot, that, if not corrected, will assure her demise.

�If this is a government of white people, by white people and for white people, then America cannot survive. But, if this is truly a nation of pluralistic views and ideas that wants to expand the vision of the founding fathers to really (reflect) e pluribus unum�out of many one�then America has to change,� he charged.

White supremacy as a prevailing philosophy has to be destroyed and the institutions that are racist in nature have to be rebuilt and restructured in order for America to survive, said Min. Farrakhan. The greatest failure of this country, said the Minister, is the destruction of the American family, particularly the destruction of the Black family.

�This march on Aug. 26, to Redeem the Dream and the march on Oct. 16�these are not really marches. Because if we are just going to march to have a march, then maybe we could consider that vanity. But if the march on Aug. 26 and the march on Oct. 16 are marches of mass mobilization, mass voter registration, mass voter education, mass spiritual resuscitation; then we will produce a movement beyond Aug. 26 and Oct. 16.� The Minister said it will produce a movement for change.

Clutching the Million Family March National Agenda, Min. Farrakhan added, �We believe if we go into the new century and the new millennium as a strong and united family, then that united family will effect public policy.

�That united family will effect foreign policy. That united family will become the moral conscience of a nation and we will turn this country around by the help and the power of almighty God.�

After the question and answer segment, the news conference concluded with Rev. Sharpton giving God praise for the recovery of Min. Farrakhan. �I think it�s important that all of us say how happy we are, that all of us prayed for the recovery of Min. Louis Farrakhan. We thank God that He restored him. We thank God and everyone who went to the hospital, and went to their place of worship and prayed for his health and we do not want it to go unrecognized that we give God the glory that Min. Farrakhan is still with us.�

�That is why I have recommitted my life,� said the Minister. �Not only to the struggle of Black people, but to the struggle of all people who are under the pain of injustice.�

Photos: #1-Maintin Luther King III, Min. Farrakhan and Rev. Al Sharpton at Atlanta press conference to promote the Million Family March and Redeem the Dream march; #2-Atlanta overflow audience watches Min. Farrakhan on screen outside of church.