Nation of Islam leader honors Million Man March

Nation of Islam Leader Louis Farrakhan, an often polarizing political activist, proposed moral and educational reform to revitalize Detroit and the American black community yesterday during a weekend-long symposium titled "Black Men taking Responsibility: A Plan of Action" at Cobo Hall. The weekend's activities were designed to kick off a year long commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the Million Man March, in which thousands of members of the black community gathered in Washington in 1995 to advocate unity, atonement and brotherhood. The symposium strives to empower the black community by discussing different spheres of life such as the economy, education and youth development. Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick spoke briefly to the 5,000 strong crowd, most of whom were black. Kilpatrick's message revolved around the importance of strong black males in the community. "This weekend is about (us as) black men standing up for ourselves," said Kilpatrick. After his speech, the crowd erupted in applause for keynote speaker Farrakhan, who began his speech with a brief history of Detroit's sometimes-tumultuous relationship with the Nation of Islam. [more]