One account of the day of atonement

In support of the Million Man March, and to honor the national day of absence, my students and I did not attend the Women Studies 511 or 561 classes.

Among the issues we have discussed in both courses all semester is the impact of the "isms," violence, racism in the lives of women, especially women of color. We have discussed personal responsibility, critical self-reflection and social action. And sometimes we have separated ourselves from men, sometimes we have separated ourselves racially, to have these conversations. We do this with the understanding that we will bring ourselves back from our spatial locations and share together in the classroom what we have learned. It is in this spirit that I felt it was important to witness the re-awakening of our brothers in Washington, D.C.

I often find myself having to defend the need for women's space. I fight for it because it is necessary for our survival. I also know that it is threatening to men when women want to meet apart from them. It is also threatening when people of color want to meet apart from European Americans. We need to learn how we can separate from one another without alienation. We need to learn how we can separate from one another and still feel supported and respected.

I supported this march because I didn't believe the media. I wanted to hear what African American men had to say. I wanted to learn what their visions for the future might be. I knew that I could learn from their conversation and I would be able to share this knowledge with my eight-year old son, Jacob, and my 15-year-old daughter, Danielle. And I did.

I was not surprised by the divisive controversy created by the media. The media simply reduced the issues to the exclusion of women and Jew-hating, to further divide our community. I never heard that women were excluded from attending the march -- I heard the brothers wanted support from women. I never heard Farrakhan say Jew-hating words. I heard historical information on black exploitation. I would be very interested in hearing the Jewish community counter Farrakhan's historical arguments. I wonder why leaders of Jewish groups will not enter into a dialogue with Farrakhan. I want to hear from a Jewish perspective, so I can really understand what is going on between blacks and Jews.

But let's really talk about what is going on here. We are dealing with white rage and anger. European Americans are pissed off about the not-guilty verdict of O.J. Simpson. European Americans are pissed off that Louis Farrakhan is challenging white supremacy. The gathering of one million (and maybe more) African American men is a direct threat to white supremacy.

Until we engage in dialogue that will bring understanding between men and women, African Americans and Jews, European Americans and people of color, the racial and sexual antagonism will not change.

[ Golden Gater Online October 24, 1995 ]

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