by Michael Z. Muhammad
and James Dickerson

WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com)�Enduring a heat index that skyrocketed to 100+ degrees, thousands rallied in front of the U.S. Capitol Building to demand redress for Blacks for centuries of free labor and oppression.

The "Millions for Reparations" gathering also attracted a cross section of activists from more than 30 states, according to organizers. One issue raised was a national referendum on what form any redress or payment should take.

For many, it was a defining moment and marked the first mass gathering in the nation�s capital that advocated federal compensation for descendants of Black slaves. The event appropriately coincided with the 115th birthday of the Honorable Marcus Garvey, the famed 20th century Black nationalist leader.

A major national figure in attendance at the march was the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, of the Nation of Islam.

"Black America must unite on the principles of reparations. We have a just demand to place before America and the world. And what are we due?" Min. Farrakhan repeatedly asked.

The Minister noted that a recent lawsuit filed on behalf of those whose loved ones died in the Sept. 11 attacks on America sought trillions of dollars in damages.

"If that can be entertained in the U.S. courts for 3,000 deaths. Then what should we be paid for the 50 million that died in the Middle Passage and those that continue to die in the streets of America?" Min Farrakhan asked.

"There is something owed to the descendants of slaves. We are not crazy for gathering here in Washington a city laid out by a Black man, in front of a Capitol Building that was built by slaves, appealing to a White House that was built by slave labor," he said.

Calling for reparations is not begging Whites for a hand-out but a demand for payment of a legitimate debt owed to Blacks and Native Americans, said Min. Farrakhan.

Blacks cannot simply accept cash payments, the Minister warned. "We need land as a basis of economic and political independence. We cannot settle for some little jive token. We need millions of acres of land," he said.

In his conclusion, the Minister said the struggle for Black Americans is here in the U.S. and not in the Middle East. "Our fight is not in Iraq. Our fight is in America for justice for every Black man, women and child," Min. Farrakhan told the crowd. The night before Min. Farrakhan spoke at a gathering sponsored by the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N�COBRA).

The rally was also a platform from which activists and reparations advocates plan to launch education efforts in their respective states.

Rep. John Conyers Jr. urged the crowd to contact local politicians and discuss reparations. For 13 years, the Michigan Democrat has authored federal legislation that would empanel a commission to study the need for reparations. His bill has never been able to get out a House committee.

"Contact your congressmen and senators and ask them what they know about reparations. Ask them to correct a historical injustice. Only Congress can correct this wrong," he said.

Rep. Conyers made a symbolic gesture that drove home the underlying value of the event. He introduced "Reparations Ray," a grassroots activist from Detroit, who first educated Rep. Conyers about the concept of reparations.

The Millions for Reparations rally provided a forum for many younger, lesser known and committed leaders at the vanguard of the reparations movement.

These leaders included Ayinde Jean Baptiste, who spoke at the 1995 Million Man March as a teenager, Adeyeme Bendele of Men on the Move, Nykel Gibson of the Organization of Pan-Africans United, Malik Zulu of the New Black Panther Party and others.

Ms. Gibson focused on a major sub-theme of the reparations gathering, the problem of inferior public education. Quoting from the late Dr. Carter G. Woodson�s seminal work "The Miseducation of the Negro," she said, "The system is almost entirely in the hands of the Europeans, who continue to dictate and control the education of our children."

Another important sub-theme was raised by Amenheru Maat Ra of the Matah Network, who spoke of the need for internal and external reparations. External reparations are those due from the hands of the oppressor, while internal reparations represent payments Blacks can make to repair themselves, he said. That means Blacks can do business with one another to promote unity and benefit their community, he said.

For Brother Rob, of Philadelphia�s African American Freedom and Reconstruction League, the rally symbolized a beginning. "This rally represents a foundation coming into the 21st century which is for our children. This issue is not going to go away," he said.

Viola Plummer, march organizer and leader of the New York-based December 12th Movement, called slavery a crime against humanity. Such crimes have no statute of limitations and compensation is still due, the activist said, during a C-SPAN call-in show broadcast the day of the gathering

"Today�s events represent the embryonic stages of building a mass movement. We will demand reparations from the United States and other corporation entities that benefited by our enslavement. We are inspired by our ancestors," said Dr. Conrad Worrill, national chairman of the National Black United Front, and one of the principal organizers of the march.