The recent Supreme Court decision on Affirmative Action has set the stage in the U.S. for closing the doors, thereby impeding the progress made in Black enrollment in, and graduation from colleges and universities; and minimizing business opportunities and the hiring of Black Americans in the public and private sectors.
Each day, somewhere in this nation, the Black community witnesses and falls prey to an increased rate of crime and violence. Aspects of the "Crime Bill" suggest that Black males will be filling the jails of America and will spend the rest of their lives working for little or no pay in the new prison-industrial coalition. The unfair use of the death penalty to punish the Black male is in fact a systematic genocidal tool being institutionalized to significantly decrease the Black population.
The proliferation of drugs and gun-related violence in the Black community, and the escalation of Black male fratricide has diminished the positive role and attributes of Black men, and instead has elevated ugly images of Black men as thieves, criminals, and savages-projected through movies, music and other communications technologies throughout the world.
The epitome of these major challenges to the Black male and our community is this mounting force of hate being built against our people, particularly Black men. We, therefore, have deemed it necessary in this critical hour to call for one million disciplined, committed, and dedicated Black men, from all walks of life in America, to march in Washington, D.C.-showing the world a vastly different picture of the Black male. As the sons of a proud people, we are coming together and moving forward to chart the course for our future as responsible heads of our families; to reclaim and build our neighborhoods; to unify our families; to save our children who will lead us into the next millennium.
We recognize October 16th as "A Holy Day of Atonement and Reconciliation." We believe that it is only when we are as one-at peace with ourselves and our Creator-can we then begin to reconcile ourselves with the Creator. We then are fortified with the ability and the capacity to successfully reconcile our differences, and accelerate the upward mobility of the Black community.
We believe that as men, we must recognize and unconditionally Atone for the absence, in too many cases, of the Black male as the head of the household, positive role model and builder of our community. We believe that we must Atone for, and establish positive solutions to, the abuse and misuse of our women and girls.
Our presence in Washington, D.C.-the capital of the United States-is a day set aside to reconcile our spiritual inner beings and to redirect our focus to developing our communities, strengthening our families, working to uphold and protect our civil and human rights, and empowering ourselves through the Spirit of God, more effective use of our dollars, and through the power of the vote.
We are asking all religious leaders of the various denominations of Christianity and the various Faith Traditions within the Black community to declare October 16, 1995, as a Holy Day of Atonement and Reconciliation-a day of fasting and prayer for those who are able. This will be the first time since the institution of slavery that Black people would have declared a Holy Day for our people. We must designate and recognize this day in accordance with the Word of our Creator.
We are asking the Black woman, particularly our mothers, to be with our children teaching them the value of home, self-esteem, family, and unity; and to work with us to ensure the success of the March and our mission to improve the quality of life for our people.
We take this historical moment to recognize the major contributions that the Black woman has made, and continues to make, toward the advancement of our people. Bonded under the guise of leadership and strength, we, as one people must come together to improve the quality of life for our children and for the Black family. For, the long and winding road that we must travel to define our future shall be determined by the depth of our unification.
We are asking that the church doors be opened and that all those who have differences within the congregation go to their house of worship to reconcile their differences. Parents, our children, and members of our community should come together by the end of the day, at a religious temple of any denomination to pray for the success and well-being of the Black man, woman, and child, and our community.
We are asking all those who have not registered to vote to go to a house of worship on October 16th, to get registered. There are approximately eight million Black persons in the U.S. eligible to vote, but who remain unregistered. Our goal is to have a registrar in as many churches as possible. There will be teachers present to provide guidance, instructions, and information. The most critical election of this century will be held in 1996. This will be the last presidential election of the century. We are determined that never again shall any political party take the Black vote for granted.
We are asking that you join many of our leaders who have gathered together to develop a national agenda for our people, as a follow-up to the Million Man March. Religious, political, civic, and youth leaders will be called to come together to incorporate sound ideas and recommendations; and to amend and finalize this national platform of action. We shall take this platform of action to various communities in America to hold town meetings to encourage the Black community's input and secure our people's approval and active support of this agenda. We shall emphasize in our actions and in the written word that the Black community shall not give our vote to anyone who is against, or is not willing, to represent the best interests of our people.
We believe that by the grace and goodness of our Creator, the success we envision for the Million Man March, and beyond October 16, 1995-our first declared Holy Day of Atonement and Reconciliation-will be captured in the annals of history as a landmark period in which Black people came together to effect the greatest promise of change for Black people in America, and throughout the world.