by Bev-Freda Jackson, American University School of Public Affairs
Every now and then, a voice can matter. Mahalia Jackson had one of them.
Known around the...
Thousands have converged at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 60th anniversary of "March on Washington." The march seeks to continue...
GEORGE E. CURRY (NNPA)—Organizers of the two recent marches on Washington—one called by Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III and the other engineered primarily by King’s sister, Bernice—almost stumbled over one another praising the diversity of their respective marches. However, not one addressed the elephant in the room: Why was more emphasis placed on bringing in groups that were not part of the push for jobs and freedom in 1963 than assembling a broad coalition of Black leaders? To be even more direct: How can you justify excluding Minister Louis Farrakhan? After all, he managed to draw more Black men to the nation’s capital on Oct. 16, 1995 than the combined crowds at the 1963 March on Washington, the Sharpton-led march on Aug. 24 and the Aug. 28 commemorative march. In fact, the Million Man March at least doubled their combined attendance.
RAYNARD JACKSON (NNPA)—Last week, the Republican National Committee, under the leadership of its chairman, Reince Priebus, did something that has never been done before in the history of the Republican Party. Their feat was so astonishing and yet few in the media is writing or talking about it. Priebus hosted a luncheon commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. The event accomplished something that no other March on Washington event was able to achieve. Sharpton’s event was a joke and an embarrassment. The King’s family event was a disappointment.
