by Dr. Ridgely A. Mu’min Muhammad

The American people are not being spiritually fed, intelligently led nor
moving with a clear vision ahead. Thus most citizens are not participating in
the political process. In the 1996 presidential election only 50% of the
registered voters voted. There was still a large number of Black, Latino and
poor white people who were not even registered to vote. Soon with the increased
privatization of what heretofore were public utilities and services, elected
officials will have nothing to govern except disgruntled working class slaves
and an untouchable share holding elite.

The year 2,000 election could be the pivotal point in the evolving
relationship between the government and the governed. Heretofore the Nation of
Islam as exemplified in the Million Man March has stressed self-determination
and self-improvement as the basis for community development oftentimes outside
of the political process. Similarly, Black family farmers over the last 60 years
have concentrated on improving their productivity and not on the structure of
the market system in which they must operate. It has become clear that what the
politicians do on a local, state and national level directly affects the
parameters of the system in which individuals, families and businesses must work
to receive the benefits of their labor and investments. The system through its
dispensing of rewards and punishments has negatively impacted the ability of
families to prosper and stay together. The destruction of Black communities can
be directly connected to the destruction of Black families.

It has also become clear that the politicians work for one of the two major
political parties and both parties work for the wealth contributed by the
special interest groups. No one works for the people. To better understand the
dichotomies under which we must choose let us introduce the "industry
paradigm" of America’s two party system. The Republicans, Reagan, Bush,
Dole etc., represent the defense industries, oil, banking, raw materials,
infrastructure or "Old Money". The Democrats, Carter, Clinton, Gore
etc., represent nuclear energy, telecommunications, Internet, new technologies
or "New Money". Black folk and even the vast majority of so-called
white people have "No Money" but a lot of votes. Therefore each of the
two parties get money from "Old Money" and "New Money" to
sell their candidates to "No Money". "No Money" gets
promises of jobs, old age benefits and no representation.

The Million Family March National Agenda Project represents the beginning of
what Minister Louis Farrakhan has christened the "Third Political
Force". The National Agenda will be presented to the world at the Million
Family March on October 16, 2000 where the national political candidates will be
invited to respond to this "People’s Agenda" in front of one million
families congregated in Washington, DC right before the November elections.

This development of a Third Political Force is a fundamental change for the
Nation of Islam’s approach to community development. The process of life is a
process of change. Minister Farrakhan announced in 1998 that America is the
"Promised Land" and that the Nation of Islam was not looking to leave
it anytime soon. So as responsible members of this country that once held us as
slaves, we must save her to save ourselves.

The first step in the development of the National Agenda has been completed
with its output being a 156 page document which covers "Public Policy
Issues, Analysis, and Programmatic Plan of Action: 2000-2008." The history
of the development of this document is outlined in its introduction by Dr.
Benjamin F. Muhammad, National Director, Million Family March.

"Thirty days after the Million Man March, on November 16, 1995,
delegates from throughout the United States gathered on the campus of Howard
University in Washington, DC for a meeting of the National African American
Leadership Summit. The Leadership Summit adopted a Ten-Point Action Program that
in part called for a National Political Convention to be held in 1996.

As a follow-up to the historic success of the Million Man March, the National
Hearing on Issues and Public Policy, held on the campus of Kennedy-King College,
Chicago, Illinois, July 26-27, 1996, produced The National Agenda 1996:
Executive Summary…

In September 1996, the National Political Convention was convened in St.
Louis, Missouri. The Convention was attended by thousands of delegates from
throughout the United States. The National African American Leadership Summit (NAALS)
and The Million Man March, Inc. co-sponsored the convention. The two major
results of the convention were the adoption of a document entitled The
National Agenda: Public Policy Issues and Action Items 1996-2001; and, the
tremendous increase in voter-turnout in the 1996 national elections,
particularly among Black men…

The Million Family March, therefore, will involve mobilizing and organizing
around the numerous public policy issues that impact the quality of life not
only for Black Americans but also for Hispanic, Native, Asian and Pacific
Islanders, Arab and White Americans."

The National Agenda is being disseminated to the heads of various political
and grass-roots organizations for their evaluation and input. The National
Agenda is divided into seven major sections: 1. Family, Morality and Public
Policy, 2. Political Empowerment, 3. Justice Issues, 4. Strengthening the
Family, 5. Quality of Life, 6. Economic Transformation and 7. International
Affairs. A website has been generated, MillionFamilyMarch.com, which holds the
entire body of The National Agenda along with the email address for comments and
suggestions.

We are involved in history in the making. The vision of Minister Louis
Farrakhan is for the million-plus me who attended the Million Man March (MMM)
five years ago to attend this family march with one or more members of their
family. Dr. Benjamin F. Muhammad is putting together a fact sheet on the
measurable changes in the Black community as a direct result of the MMM. Your
input would be appreciated.

Peace

(Contact information: http://www.millionfamilymarch.com or phone
1-877-MFM-7995 or 1-202-291-1119 and Dr. Ridgely Muhammad, drridge@bellsouth.net
)