On September 5th 1998, the Harlem community held its first Million Youth March on Lenox Avenue, from West 118th Street to West 124th Street. It was organized by supporters of Khalid Muhammad.

Mr. Muhammad felt that it was time to wake up the people in the community. Before the Million Youth March, Mayor Giuliani expressed strong feelings against Muhammad's role in the march, because he felt Khalid was racist and he spoke of hate. Mayor Giuliani went as far as trying to get the march thrown out in court. However he was overruled. The only catch was that the march had to be over at 4:00 P.M. on the dot.

The march began at 12:00 P.M. It was a cool 73 degrees with beautiful rays of sunshine covering Lenox Avenue.

I interviewed a sixty-year old man, named Roosevelt, from Baltimore. He began by saying that he attended the Million Man March and that's why he came out to support this march. Roosevelt stated that, "It was a beautiful sight to see so many people come out and support the march that was much needed by the youth."

Throughout the day many people made comments referring to how good it was to see so many Black people come out and support a positive event. It was nice to hear people speak positively about the Harlem community and to see people helping to guide the black youth in the right direction. There are too many of our young black youth headed down the "wrong road".

My Grandmother, who was at the march, said, "This march is long overdue because, as of right now, our country is in a crisis with the way the Black communities are financially unwise. With no Black-owned stores within our own communities, the Jews control a surprising amount of stores and businesses in the Black communities."

At about 3:55 P.M., my mother called me downstairs from my aunt Tammy's house (were I was looking at the march from her 118th street window) to show me the police officers in riot gear, that's when I interviewed a man named Rev. Butts. He thought the day was very beautiful, but said, "I'm very afraid of what might happen in a couple of minutes with those cops standing there, looking like they're ready to go to war."

Then a helicopter flew low, close to the crowd, which enraged them. About two minutes later cops rushed the stage, a chair was thrown from the crowd, then a garbage can, followed by a stick. A skirmish broke out. After it died down, I interviewed several people who said they were beaten with a railing, knight sticks and sprayed with mace. One man spoke about how his six-year old daughter was hit with a night stick.

Overall the Million Youth March was excellent, a long overdue event which sent out positive messages to the HarlemYouth.