By Arlene McKanic
The Million Man/Woman March Coordinating Council of Queens is the only local organizing committee in the state that didn't dissolve after the Million Man March in 1995, and is now gearing up for another gathering this fall in Washington D.C. Council Chairman Professor James Blake was the first to speak after the invocation, and guests included bow-tied members of the Fruit of Islam, white-shirted members of the Council's V.I.P. Youth, Councilmen Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), James Sanders (D-Laurelton) and former Councilwoman Juanita Watkins. Comrie and Sanders both left early, as they had promised to attend a couple of other breakfasts.Blake spoke of the organization's tours of historic black colleges, which are conducted for young people, the organization's closing of Gordon's, a strip club in Jamaica where a young man was shot to death, the Annual Kwanzaa Community Celebration, job creation for 4,000 teenagers in the community, business seminars at York College, which culminated in a huge business seminar at Allen A.M.E. Church, and the development, with the help of Watkins, of the Harriet Tubman Independent Democratic Club. The Council also made sure, according to Blake, that a statue of Queen Catherine of Braganza was not erected in Queens (she was allegedly instrumental in the slave trade) and that pundit Gil Noble stayed on television.”We had a scorched earth policy when it comes to Gil Noble,” warned Blake.Council member Bill Morgan then read a letter to Minister Louis Farrakhan from Raymond Burks, a young man who went on one of the historic black college tours. Morgan was followed by Minister Kevin Muhammad of Mosque #7, who spoke on behalf of Farrakhan and who read the directive for Farrakhan's Millions More Movement, which is an enhancement of the goals of the Million Man March. Minister Kevin then recalled, with eloquent passion, the success of the Million Man march 10 years ago. The march was so peaceful, said Minister Kevin, that “Whenever a brother would step on another brother's foot, he'd say, 'No, step on my other foot!'” Minister Kevin was followed by Shango Blake, Blake's son, principal of the renown I.S. 109 in Queens Village and co-developer of the college tour.The gathering to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Million Man March is scheduled to begin on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2005. For more information call (718) 527-4443.
