Gay Today: World

Black & White Men Together Decry Millennium March

Compiled by GayToday

Washington, D.C.--The National Association Of Black and White Men Together (NABWMT) a gay, multi-racial, multi-cultural association with more than 25 chapters across the United States, voted unanimously at its most recent Board of Directors meeting, NOT to endorse the Millennium March on Washington scheduled to take place the last weekend in April, 2000.

This action was taken, say directors, after extensive discussions about the genesis, development, and leadership of the March.

They recall:

"From the initial exclusion of all but the two largest LGBT organizations in announcing this event, through continued top-down direction of its development, the group's leadership notes that People of Color have not been part of the process.

"The late initiation of 'community' forums that included significant time spent in closed door sessions continue to belie the arguments made by the organizers about 'grass-roots' input.

"It is a shame that in 1999 there has been less effort made at true community input at the grass-roots level, than in the 1993, 1987 and 1979 marches," said the Association's leaders.

Their announcement states:

"The NABWMT regrets that the infrastructure of corporate-style top-down leadership continues the practices of our larger society of excluding people of color from leadership and decision-making, except for later 'token' perfunctory efforts at input. Of course, we respect the right of any individual to participate in the march if they so choose.

Related Stories from the GayToday Archive:
Stop the March Madness: Open Letters

To March or Not to March

Behind the Millennium March Debate

Related Sites:
National Association of Black & White Men Together

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"To further emphasize our distaste for the above event, the NABWMT Board of Directors has moved our Spring meeting in Washington, D.C. from the same weekend as the Millennium March to a date two weeks earlier."