The Million Man March, was a political demonstration held in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 16, 1995, to promote African American unity. The event was organized by Minister Louis Farrakhan, leader of the N

The Million Man March, was a political demonstration held in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 16, 1995, to promote African American unity. The event was organized by Minister Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, and directed by Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the former executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, to bring about a spiritual renewal that would instill a sense of personal responsibility in African American men for improving the condition of African Americans. Among other prominent African Americans who supported and spoke at the event were Reverend Jesse Jackson, Rosa Parks, Cornel West, and Maya Angelou, along with Marion Barry and Kurt Schmoke, then the mayors of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Md., respectively. 

Spike Lee’s 1996 film Get on the Bus is about a group of African American men traveling from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., for the Million Man March. George is the trip organizer; Xavier is an aspiring filmmaker hoping to make a documentary about the March; Flip is a struggling actor; Kyle and Randall are a same-sex couple; Gary, a mixed-race police officer; Jamal is a former gang member turned devout Muslim; Evan Jr., is a petty criminal who has been permitted to break probation to attend the march on the condition that he remain handcuffed to his father, Evan Sr.  Jeremiah, the eldest member of the group, has found new meaning in life and is energized by the Million Man March.

This coming together of diverse perspectives of Black masculinity makes the film quite compelling. Get on the Bus delves into a number of external as well as internal issues that impact the African American community.  Identify and discuss these issues in the context of the film.  Discuss the ways in which the characters in the film develop a deeper understanding of themselves and each other.  To what extent do they fulfill the purpose of the Million Man March?

Follow MLA guidelines.  Write a minimum of 1500 words. Use a minimum of four secondary sources, two of which must be peer-reviewed.