Part 1: Million Man to One Million or More Strong ....Reflections on Inauguration

Space Log:

January 18th we (Ali, one of my students and myself) arrived into National Airport around 11:00am on time. We deplaned. I had been last in my beloved National Airport back in August. In August I had only anticipated our victory and that Inauguration would be ours. It was 2 days before the big day and VICTORY was now ours. We took pictures with the "Barack" cut-out and headed down to get our luggage.

We retrieved our luggage, loaded metro cards and headed to the platform to wait for the train. We boarded with all of our luggage and headed out to the Branch Avenue Station on the Green Line.

We arrived into the station where our Ft. Washington, MD host picked us up. We got in and I immediately returned to the metro station to catch whatever I could of Sunday's Big Free concert. I will not bitch about the fact that tickets were needed to get to a certain area and in all of the texts I received from the PIC (bka Presidential Inaugural Committee), it was never communicated that tickets were needed.

I was soon able to sift out the rumors that if I continued walking toward the Jumbotrons I would still be able to enjoy whatever was left of the show. This information would have been more helpful before I rode all the way to Foggy Bottom GW Metro Station to get to the back side of the Lincoln Memorial where I could not access the show instead of hopping off at Smithsonian Metro Station and sitting down quickly to enjoy whatever was left of the incredible 2:30p concert.

I walked and I made it around to a screen and caught the close of what sounded like an incredible show. I had walked the perimeter of a large area hearing Bono, but unable to see him until I got in that night. I still haven't seen the whole concert and I hear John Legend and James Taylor smashed it. Everyone's got homemade DVD's. It will work out.

The plan was to meet up with my sister. Before meeting up with her I walked and walked trying to get a lay of the land for the Big Day. We have all planned and talked...talked and planned for months and weeks. Some friends had fallen back and decided not to make the pilgrimage to Washington.

Despite some financial challenges and yes some challenges at work. I decided to make the trip anyway. I surveyed the mall. I surveyed the not so jumbo jumbotrons. I checked out the American History Museum that was opening at 8:00am instead of 10am to accommodate anyone who wanted to stay in from the cold. I even met two local ladies who like me were surveying for Tuesday, as well. We called it a "practice run". For the record a lot of the DC locals were either trying to flee the city or not coming out. It was refreshing to meet these two "Auntie" aged women trying to figure things out.

I eventually met up with my sister near the American History museum where we got Empanadas and hotdogs. We exchanged gifts, love and hugs.


As we talked, used the restroom and walked a feeling came over me. The sun was beginning to set though it had barely risen this day. I'd been on the mall many times since October 16th, 1995, but I heard the Men of the Million Man March whispering to me. I felt the spirit of that day speaking directly to me. I, Black Woman, was there. Despite how inappropriate some may have thought it was, I had to bear witness to One Million Men on the Washington, Mall. The weekend before I had run into so many of my Skegee classmates at the local clubs and pubs who (Muslim or not) were in town to "march". There seemed to be Beautiful Black Men everywhere ! (I had to be there).

14 years ago Minister Louis Farrakhan convened Black America's Men to meet on the mall to talk about and demonstrate "leadership". There were many public reservations about the controversial American Muslim leader convening such a meeting. As a DC resident I just kept thinking "They're letting him have the Capitol Steps and the Mall...they can't be as afraid or uncomfortable as the media claims". I also reflected that Martin Luther King had gathered more than a few folks in 1968 so freedom of assembly had definitely rung over the years. I am not comparing King and Farrakhan, just reflecting upon "controversial" million (or not-so-million)-plus gatherings on the Washington, Mall.

I had not felt afraid in 1995 and despite the magnitude of Barack's campaign, I was not afraid of what would or could happen on January 20th. I also attended the speech in Denver at Mile High Stadium. I was not afraid there either. Fear of "what might happen" was just not on my radar.

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There were black folks who actually worried that there would be some "incident" at Inuguration. "You know how 'our people' are when we get together", reflected a friend's friend'; as though "our people" were the going to be the only people in attendance. It sounded idiotic to me. It was frustrating, but not my issue. I was more worried about say a threat on Barack's life than "Pookey" vs. "Quan" or even the Jena 6 vs. Arian Nation.

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While the Inauguration is a Federally supported event and the differences between January 20th, 2009, October 16th, 1995 and August 24th, 1968 are very clear, I still believe I heard whispers of love, support and triumph from those who had experienced those historic days. I felt the continuum. They seemed to say that the way has been made...run on.

History says there were 250,000 at the March on Washington. The Million Man March is said by the Nation of Islam to have been attended by 1,000,000 . The media and the National Park Service (Park Police) reported between 400,000 and 450,000. Farrakhan even threatened to sue the Park Police for the reporting those numbers. As an attendee I feel confident there were WAY more than 450,000, but after looking at the 1.5 Million helicopter shot on Obama's big day , I hate to break it to Farrakhan...We were "Strong" that beautuful day in October 1995, I am just not certain we were "One Million Strong" (please don't sue me).





Here's the thing...I am not certain if it matters anymore. I just know over this continuum we are "53 million plus" strong for Barack and its been a long time coming...like since slaves and abolitionist whispered for freedom long time coming...these things don't just happen over 2 or 3 years more like hundreds...

My reflections on January 20th, 2009 are these .. It was too cold to be out there; trying to see too many folk the night before I was disappointed at not having gotten up early enough to get out onto the mall space between the monument and the capitol (we made it to the nice space between the Washington Monument and the War World II Memorial which some consider "Mall Enough", I do); the swearing in was incredible (despite the HUGE disapointment of having to watch the whole thing on a jumbotron through a dead tree), but the stress (so many street and gate closures obstructing the walk to the mall that was already an inevitable 2 miles) of walking 2+ miles to get there was distracting to the moment for me (and a few others whose names have been protected for fear of "incredible moment" backlash); Ali was so completely fatigued from the walk that he slept through

swearing in (I still have guilt and nightmares about the walk to the mall for my 6 year old, I take full responsibility for the decision) ....I am still tired...I enjoyed Denver and the DNC way more....

Am I glad I was there ? Yes after a hard fought year of volunteering, campaigning, canvassing, phone banking and just daily debates I had to stand in the spot ordained for me in Washington, DC to witness HISTORY. I had to breathe DC's frigid air of HOPE, COURAGE and BEAUTY. Yes I had to be there !
















BTW....Good times did actually roll for me in DC on my beloved U Street...stay tuned for my next blog ...

Black History Month Thoughts...just for today

I have several blogs clogging my pipes, but this gushed out today...I will catch you up on all things Inauguration and DC. I will catch you up on all things on the job, as well. I also found myself INCREDIBLY thrilled watching my son play "Bitty Leauge" Basketball at Rancho Cienega.



Today let's talk history....I open with an excerpt from Dr. Yolanda Pierce's Blog (in response to her partner Dr. Lacewell) from the Kitchen Table which brought me out of the "Blog Funk" I've been in...here goes

"When I think of Black History Month, I think of the stories like Seymour's that have yet to be told; I think of the songs, and the histories, and the poetry yet to be written about the African American experience. I think of the current political moment we are in, as well as the 400 years of struggle from which it emerged. I think about the courageous educators like Carter G. Woodson, who fought to have Black history recognized as American history.

Like you, I wish that we had no need of a separate month to recognize these achievements. I wish that we would seamlessly weave the stories of all people at the margins into the very center of the history that we teach. I wish that the silenced and the voiceless would find expression in our country 365 days of the year. And I will continue to work towards that goal. I've dedicated my life to working toward that goal as I teach this material every month of the year."

Excerpt from The Kitchen Table..."Black History, Black Stories"
by Dr. Yolanda Pierce

Dr. Pierce's words were incredibly profound and serendipitous for me today. I have spent the last two weeks since my return from a very cold and excruciating Washington, DC researching Sojourner Truth, Myrlie Evers and John Hanson (the Black Man ...there was a White one too). I just yesterday expanded my research to Carter G. Woodson (I have read Miseducation of the Negro, but I was not aware of his struggles with the NAACP and Howard University) and today stepping up to the First true liberator of Black Folk, Harriet Tubman. She didn't just theorize, lead and hope....She FREED 300 or more slaves !!!!!!!!!

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I am often frustrated by the idea that "Black Leadership" is revered as the province of men (Martin, Malcolm, Mandela and Me (as the T-Shirt from my college days went). Although no longer a part of the American History standards for the state of California a study on WEB Dubois and Booker T. Washington has just fallen to the desire of individual instructors. I observed the AP History teacher teaching it anyway and including Marcus Garvey as the three "Black Leaders" of the time. He lectured on the differences between their schools of thought. I turned him onto Dudley Randall's poem. He was not familiar. It was the least I could do watching from the sidelines.

There is however no noting of Harriet Tubman's HARD WORK woven into any standards or lecture. There is nothing even said of Isabella Baumfree bka Sojourner Truth who preached and lectured about Black Liberation and Women's Liberation before the turn of the century. She also "lobbied" (if you will) for the government to GRANT land to Freed Slaves moving west. We never got our 40 Acres, but she was seeking a remedy for the "Exodusters" leaving the South to begin their lives West. I am a graduate of Tuskegee University. I am not trying to diminsh the significant contributions of our menfolk. I am just trying to bring Harriet and Isabella out of "novelty/black fact status".


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It is not that I don't know who the aforementioned historical icons are. It is not that I haven't looked these historical icons up before in an Encyclopedia of old (I miss encyclopedias do you miss encyclopedias ?), but with my radio show and the desire to be an authentic master or reasonable expert on this information, I too am daily (365 Days) disappointed by the OMISSION of Black Stories in the pantheon of "American History". I recently read that when Sojourner Truth met Abraham Lincoln, he is said to have shown her his Bible that was said to have been given to him by "Black People in Baltimore". Maybe Obama was trying to make sure that everyone was at the Inauguration. I am more sure than ever I want to be a purveyor of the African American History Gospel, like Carter G. Woodson.



As a math teacher waiting on my afternoon classes I often listen to the same AP History Teacher teach from a text that is so profoundly deficient, that I want to yell out "Lewis Latimer !" like someone with Tourettes Syndrome as he teaches them about Thomas Alva Edison.

I quoted Dr. Pierce's words becauseI am thrilled, moved, inspired and renewed by them (check the whole blog at www.princetonprofs.blogspot.com). I am personally looking to change the world through this "acknowledged" knowledge and information that can at the very least enrich the landscape from which children and young people are taught (media, film and literary work) and at best become fully woven into the fabric of American History. One day it will all be taught seamlessly as a NATURAL part of the American Experience. I am working for that day !

all love
danna