A Busload of Hope: The Journey to the Million Man March

As the bus, named "Go'in Places," rolled north on Interstate 85, its 31 passengers were bound for the Million Man March on the Mall in Washington. The 12-hour journey from Atlanta was not just about the destination, but about the deeply felt racial significance of the event. The men on board, ranging in age from a 15-year-old to a 54-year-old Vietnam War veteran, were united in their anticipation and purpose.

Key Takeaways:

• The bus, carrying 31 black men, was one of thousands scheduled to arrive in Washington for the Million Man March on the Mall.
• The men on the bus came from a variety of backgrounds, including middle-aged and middle-class individuals with a flair for Afrocentric culture.
• The bus was equipped with a public address system, where the Rev. Ra Kabeer delivered a stern yet good-natured lecture on racial economics after a breakfast stop at a white-owned establishment.
• Trina Ross, the trip's organizer, promised to stop at a black-owned restaurant on the return leg.
• The men on the bus were enthusiastic about the march, with some praising the leadership of Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam's leader.
• Aboard the bus, there was little patience with criticism of Farrakhan's role and history of inflammatory remarks.
• The Rev. Mark Lomax, pastor of the First African Presbyterian Church, met with Farrakhan and other religious leaders a month ago and was impressed with his commitment to the common agenda.
• David LeGall, 35, stated that Farrakhan is "the most inspirational, most educational teacher in the United States."
• L. Vernon Allwood, director of community relations and special projects at the School of Medicine at Morehouse College, emphasized that black men must take greater responsibility in raising families in a call echoing the march.
• The bus provided a platform for passenger interactions, debates, and moments of fun, including reading pocket-sized copies of the Koran and the Bible.

Statistics:

• 31 black men were on board the bus "Go'in Places."
• 12-hour journey from Atlanta to the Million Man March on the Mall.
• Thousands of busloads of black men were scheduled to arrive in Washington for the march.
• Regional organizers reported that many buses would be arriving on Monday between midnight and 4 A.M.
• L. Vernon Allwood has been directing 20-week manhood training sessions for 12- to 14-year-old black boys through churches.

Sources:

• "Go'in Places busload of black men heads to Million Man March," New York Times, [no date provided]
• Photographs by Ozier Muhammad, New York Times, pages A1 and B6.