COLUMN: Farrakhan-bashing by media eclipsed message of unity

---

by Usman Baber

---

One of the principal organizers of this gathering, which was called the Million Man March, was Louis Farrakhan. The majority of people got their information concerning the march through major media outlets, such as TV and radio.

The media not only informed the general public, but disseminated editorial comments that made people develop preconceived notions about the upcoming event.

In particular, as the day approached, all I heard about was Farrakhan's anti-semitism and separatist views and very little about the march itself.

I am grateful, though, that instead of becoming uninterested in the march, the media made me more curious about this man and the march in which he participated.

Now that I look at the media's coverage of the march and compare that to what was actually said there, I come to the conclusion that the media was completely irresponsible in their coverage of the event.

First of all, it seemed evident to me that the media was especially obsessed with talking about Farrakhan's anti-semitic and anti-white comments he has made in the past. Even though it is true that Farrakhan has made such comments (and these are not to be condoned), it was wrong for the media to correlate Farrakhan's past with the message of the march.

There are a few reasons for this.

First of all, the "day of atonement" was not by, for or even to Farrakhan and his followers in the Nation of Islam. It was actually by, for and addressed to the blacks of America.

The march was attended by Democrats, Republicans, Muslims and Christians.

The message of the march was not separatism, but rather reconciliation, improvement and development of a better future for the blacks of this country.

Farrakhan wasn't the only one to speak; 79 others talked about the necessity for blacks to take control of their communities and come together rather than further divide themselves.

Even though it is true that Farrakhan has made racist comments in the past, what he and others spoke about on the "day of atonement" dealt with certain necessary steps which black communities must take in order to realize the goals of the march.

In other words, the Million Man March transcended any one person or specific group.

I did not, and still am unable to understand why the media was so obsessed with trying to bias the view of the public against the march.

The main reason this concerns me so much, though, is because of the role the media plays in society.

It is unfortunate that the media wanted us to discount a positive message because of one incindiary speaker.

In today's society, blacks and whites are still largely divided.

In such a society, the message of the Million Man March was largely needed and helpful.

Sadly, much of the prevailing public opinion was determined by what people heard from the media rather than unbiased opinions of their own.

This can only further polarize our society along racial lines, which is obviously something this country can do without.

It would have been nice if the media had been more responsible in their coverage and had given informed opinions about this march, rather than harbor and further create prejudices.

Usman Baber is a Hanszen College freshman.

This item appeared in the Opinion section of the November 3, 1995 issue.

Copyright © 1996 The Rice Thresher. All Rights Reserved.
This document may be distributed electronically, provided that it is distributed in its entirety and includes this notice. However, it cannot be reprinted without the express written permission of:
The Rice Thresher, Rice University, 6100 Main, Houston, TX 77005-1892, USA.