Davey D sits down with Minister Abdul Sabur Muhammad (formerly known as Minister Keith) to revisit the 30th anniversary of the Million Man March and to connect its spirit to today’s political climate. The conversation recalls the organizing muscle that built October 16, 1995—and asks what it means to sustain that energy now.
Why the call mattered
Muhammad situates the mid-1990s as a period when Black men were cast as “public enemy number one,” with policy and policing following those narratives. He points to Los Angeles’s notorious “Batterram” era as emblematic of militarized policing, and describes Minister Louis Farrakhan’s Stop the Killing tour and subsequent men-only meetings as groundwork for the March. Crucially, that organizing cut across denominations and geographies: AME churches mobilized nationally; Bay Area hubs like Bethel AME and Jeffrey’s Inner Circle hosted strategy sessions; and reconciliation efforts—most notably between Farrakhan and Dr. Betty Shabazz after the controversy involving Malcolm X’s daughter Qubilah—signaled a broader call to unity.
Atonement, unity, and outcomes
Davey D underscores that the March was not just a gathering but a moral charge centered on atonement: making amends to family, community, and each other, and then acting. Muhammad outlines tangible results often erased in mainstream accounts: a peaceful day in D.C. without arrests; mass civic engagement including on-site voter registration; and a surge of Black adoptions matching the 25,000 children then on adoption rolls. Locally, initiatives like Oakland’s “Black Men First” took the pledge into the streets. Both recall how major media downplayed the turnout and later minimized community-driven drops in violence, preferring “tough on crime” narratives tied to the 1994 Crime Bill.
From Oscar Grant to the present
The discussion bridges that spirit of unity to Bay Area organizing after the police killing of Oscar Grant. Muhammad recounts the multifaith, cross-community pressure that forced a meeting with the district attorney and helped move the case toward charges. He also notes the rise of social media as a counter-narrative tool when legacy outlets turned away.
The stakes in 2025—and the path forward
Asked about today’s landscape—ICE raids, erosion of voting power, stalled reparations, and authoritarian drift—Muhammad isn’t surprised. He frames it as the fulfillment of long-standing warnings: “unite or perish; do for self.” The prescription: build independent institutions; teach our own history (he argues the Million Man March belongs in every curriculum); and organize locally for safer, cleaner neighborhoods and equitable public services. He contrasts the March’s disciplined peace with the January 6 attack to illustrate the power of principled mass action. The closing message: unity—expressed as love, discipline, and collective responsibility—remains a weapon “more powerful than nuclear bombs.”
Note: Minister Abdul Sabur Muhammad also points listeners to a national commemoration webcast at noi.org with details and viewing times. The last song played at the end of the show is Threat Level Orange by Earth to Eve.
Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.