Pre-March in East St. Louis, October 15, 1995
[alternate link to sound file: click here]
The city of East St. Louis shut down except for emergency services to attend the Million Man March (Redmond 12). The men left from the East St. Louis Township parking lot the day before the March. They gathered there with their families to celebrate and prepare.
Sherman Fowler interviewed people in the parking lot, including women and children, asking them for their thoughts and feelings about the event. The audio file above is excerpted from those recordings.
Mayor Bush riding in a Cadillac Sedan de Ville using a vehicular public address system. His right fist is raised in solidarity with the attendees. A parade of cars follows on the street behind him.
A woman waves from a parading Chevrolet Astro decorated with streamers, balloons, and a Million Man March flyer.
A reporter from the local television station interviews an attendee wearing a suit and hat and holding a cane, next to a group of casually dresssed young men.
A photograph of two men wearing Million Man March sweatshirts, and the Million Man March shirt order form.
(The order form is shown at approximately half scale as compared to the adjacent photograph.)
Illinois state representative Wyvetter Younge is pictured here at the East St. Louis pre-March event (left), with an unidentified man and woman. Younge expresses her support for the March in the audio file above (beginning at 0:26).
A group of men gathered to pray about the March.
Female family members show their support for the men leaving for the March.
A daughter of a March participant leaning against a Pontiac Parisienne. Banners saying "Oh Happy Day" and "Oct 16 '95" are affixed to the car.
Two months earlier, on August 21, East St. Louis mayor Gordon D. Bush issued the proclamation pictured at left establishing "Million Man March Day" in the city. The proclamation coincided with Million Man March leader Louis Farrakhan's visit to St. Louis to encourage participation in the upcoming March (O'Neil).
The proclamation honors and supports Farrakhan and describes the March as "an effort to improve our condition and to motivate and mobilize us to action."
(The proclamation is shown here at approximately half scale as compared to the photographs above.)
Click here to see all of the photographs from the Redmond Collection related to the Million Man March.
References:
O'Neil, Tim."Farrakhan: Face 'Enemy' United Nation of Islam Leader Advocates 'New Black Man' in Talk Here." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 21, 1995.
Redmond, Eugene B. "Visible Glory in a 'Sea of Peace.'" Drumvoices Revue. 7 (1997-1998): Visible Glory: The Million Man March. 12-15. Online access is unrestricted.
A transcript of part of the audio file above can be found in the following reference:
Redmond, Eugene B., Sherman L. Fowler, and Marcus Atkins. Drumvoices Revue. 7 (1997-1998): Visible Glory: The Million Man March. 26. Online access is unrestricted.