New Jersey: Million Man March Commemoration To Take Place In Newark On Oct. 16

By Lawrence Hamm Photos: People’s Organization For Progress The 30th anniversary commemoration of the historic Million Man March will take place on Thursday, October 16, 2025, 6:00PM at St James AME Church, 588 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in Newark, NJ. The program will include a panel discussion about the march, the organizing effort at the state and national levels, and its impact and legacy. The panelists will include Rev Ronald L. Slaughter, Pastor, St James AME Church; Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress; Fredrica Bey, Executive Director, Women In Support of the Million Man March; and Abdul Haqq Muhammad, Student Minister, Muhammad’s Mosque #25. The keynote presentation will be given by Mayor Ras Baraka of the City of Newark. The program moderators will be Amina Bey, Co-Chair of Women In Support of the Million Man March, and Edward Riley, creator and founder of the online public affairs show All Politics R Local. All of those on the program either attended the march or participated in local organizing efforts. Co-sponsors of the commemoration include The New Jersey Million Man March Coalition, Women In Support of the Million Man March, St James AME Church, All Politics R Local, and People’s Organization For Progress. The Million Man March took place on October 16, 1995. It was called by Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. However, it was supported by many national and local Black organizations, and had the broad support of Black people from all walks of life and across religious, class, and political lines. The march brought together more than a million men on the mall in the nation’s capital Washington DC. The attendees were primarily African Americans, but also included black men from the Caribbean, Africa, and the diaspora. It was the largest demonstration at the capital in the nation’s history. The event was also characterized as a holy day of atonement and reconciliation. Many speakers at the event emphasized unity, personal and collective responsibility and transformation. It was also seen as a day of absence to demonstrate the economic power of the Black community. And it was also seen as a response to the ongoing racism and oppression that Black people experience in the U.S. In 1994, The New Jersey Million Man March Coalition (NJMMMC)was formed to mobilize statewide participation in the event. Lawrence Hamm and  Student Minister Abdul Khadir Muhammad were chair and co-chair of the coalition respectively. Simultaneously, the Women In Support of the Million Man March (WISOMMM) was organized with Fredrica Bey as its chair. The New Jersey coalition had more than 250 busses on its roster that were organized by community, grassroots, religious, labor, student, and other groups. In addition, there were many busses that were organized independently. Many men also traveled by car, train, plane, and some even walked. It is estimated that perhaps as many as 75 thousand men that attended the march were from New Jersey. Also, there were women who got on the busses and attended the march. This year’s events commemorating the Million Man March will be held in about 20 cities across the nation. A national coalition to call for, encourage, and coordinate these observances was organized by Rev Mark Thompson, radio talk show host, political, civil, and human rights activist. Thompson contacted organizers in New Jersey and encouraged their participation. “The Million Man March was one of the greatest, most exciting organizing efforts and historical events I experienced in my lifetime. We must not let it be forgotten. I urge everyone who attended the Million Man March to attend the commemoration,” Hamm stated. For more information please call (973) 801-0001.  To Support our independent investigative journalism contributions are welcome via Cashapp to: $BlackStarNews Also support Black Star News by buying merch from our brand new Black Star Store!