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 ...
3 comments:
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the historic event when Pres.Obama was solidified into American history. Like you, I was awe-inspired by what I saw on television, which showed, from a topical and frontal view, a beautiful sea of people. Speaking to a friend of mine yesterday, he said that it was a most memorable event, and he was glad he went.
I told him that it reminded me of the MMM in 1995, which I attended. He asked if I thought that there were a Million people there, and I told him that I believe that there were at least 1.5M. Now I certainly didn't count the number myself, and wouldn't believe the National Park Services even if they said it was a Million. But, as I stood in the first few rows in front of the stage and turned around, I would be insulting all of my years of education if I determined that there were less than a million people there. Its really not an impossible task to estimate numbers of people in an area, especially when you know the size of the area. I could not look in either direction, and see anything but people, Black People. The average person takes up less than 3ft of space, height notwithstanding. Based on simple mathematics, 250,000 people is just not a reasonable number for anyone who wants to judge fairly. I submit that there were at 250,000 people there by 7:00am, I was there at 5:30am. The crowds of BLACK people were non-stop, and by a certain time, you could barely turn around to look at the massive crowds.
We can debate the significance of the Inauguration of Pres Obama vs.MMM, but seems like it wouldn't be fruitful as one only adds to and solidifies the other. But size-wise, I'm not sure as to the number of people at the inauguration, but if there were less than 2M, it didn't match up to the MMM (numerically). I hate that I even have to make that distinction because its a common media, govt trick to pit one of our worthy events against another, based on the convener of that event.
I will say that you must find it most remarkable that the MMM was convened by a committee of Black people and those who made up the Million Plus crowd, were 95-100% Black Men. No fights, no murders, no robberies, no thefts, just LOVE.
If you are in Love with Black people, you'd have to agree...I love and support our new Black president and thought his inauguration was incredible, but there was no comparison.
I like the fact that you were able to compare the inauguration to another DC event. That's very cool. The whispering ancestors was cool, too.
Nice post, Ms. Kiel. :)
Hello there!
I was in D.C. for the 1995 Million Man March...was on stage standing next to Reverend Jackson's C.O.S. and I was in D.C. for the Obama inauguration (as cold as it was and as ridiculous as the barricades were to navigate)!!
It was touching to see how many elderly black folks were getting off of those charter buses at the White House...they had come so far to see history made!!
Peace, blessings and DUNAMIS!
Lisa
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