Thousands Rally on Department of Justice
Feature Story by Janel Johnson - 11/27/2007
On November 16, thousands of people gathered in the nation's capital to, in the words of event speaker Rev. Al Sharpton, "tear down the walls of injustice" around the criminal justice system.
The "March on Washington for Justice" was inspired by what civil rights leaders perceive as a lack of involvement by the U.S. Justice Department in the prosecution of anti-Black hate crimes and their failure to get involved in controversial cases such as the Jena 6.
The demonstration, organized by the National Action Network where Sharpton serves as president, was modeled on the biblical tale of Joshua leading the Israelite army around the city walls of Jericho. The seventh time the Israelites marched around the walled city on their seventh day of marching, the walls of the city fell.
In similar fashion, activist groups, families, students, and many other event participants marched around the Department of Justice building seven times, symbolically tearing down the "walls of injustice" surrounding the procedures and policies of the justice department.
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) said the march was a call to the Justice Department to "wake up". She said the agency should "free the incarcerated who are there (in prison) without justice and free them now!"
At the rally following the march, speakers urged participants to take the issues back to their local communities.
Pastor Raymond C. Bell of First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist in Washington, D.C., who helped organize the demonstration, encouraged the more than 5,000 marchers to "go back to their communities and organize." Rev. Ishmael Muhammad of the Nation of Islam urged participants to "petition their leaders" to fight for the rights of all Americans.
Many marchers saw their participation as a pivotal way to urge the federal government to address issues facing African Americans.
Kevin Huff, a recent graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University, said that he felt an obligation to participate because his "family"—black people – was being attacked in light of recent noose hanging incidents.
Carolyn Wilson, who traveled from Philadelphia, participated to show the federal government that African Americans "will not be overpowered." She hopes that after the march, the federal government will respond to African-American communities' demand for "real action to ensure equality and justice."
Hate crimes continue to be a problem in the U.S, particularly against African Americans. The latest data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation found that hate crimes increased by 8 percent from 2005 to 2006. In addition, more that 66 percent of reported racially motivated hate crimes were anti-black crimes.
In a statement responding to the march, recently appointed Attorney General Michael Mukasey said: "The Justice Department shares with those who demonstrate today their objective of bringing to justice those who commit criminal acts of hate. At the same time, the Department must follow the law and the principles of federal prosecution in every case it investigates and prosecutes. Although there are limitations and challenges in bringing successful hate crimes prosecutions, the Department takes each case seriously, and is prepared to vindicate the rights of the victims when prosecution is warranted by the facts and by federal law."
Other speakers included Martin Luther King III; Charles Steele of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Marcus Jones, father of 'Jena 6' defendant, Mychel Bell; radio show hosts Steve Harvey and Tom Joyner; and TV judge Greg Mathis.
