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CNN Saturday Morning News
Million Youth March
Aired September 06, 2003 - 08:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, crowds are expected in Brooklyn, New York this morning for the Million Youth March.
Our CNN's Maria Hinojosa now joins us with the very latest from there -- good morning, Maria.
MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Sean.
Well, we're in the heart of Bed-Stuy, which is the heart of the African-American community here in Brooklyn. And today's march is being organized by two main groups, a group that calls itself the New Black Panther Party and a group that calls itself the Committee To Honor Black Heroes.
They say that their main point for today's so-called Million Youth March is to create a movement for black power and unity, to make a statement against police violence and to recruit young African- American voters.
Now, they are drawing their name from the very well known Million Man March that happened in 1995. That was a march that was called by Minister Louis Farrakhan and did, in fact, draw hundreds of thousands of predominantly African-American men to the nation's capital.
Here in New York, there was the first Million Youth March in 1998. That drew just a few several thousand. It was a march that many who attended said was anti-white, antis, anti-police. It did end up with some violence against protesters and some violence between the protesters and the police.
Now, this year's march is also somewhat controversial. Again, it's being called by a group that says they are the New Black Panther Party. But, in fact, the original Black Panthers have said that they have nothing to do with the New Black Panther Party. The original Black Panthers saying that they are a group based on love and they say that this New Black Panther Party really is much more based on hate.
Now, also, interestingly, on the Million Youth March Web site, they have a list of endorsers. And when we called some of these endorsers to see if they were going to be here today at the march, many of them said they had no plans whatsoever to be here and were not going to be taking part. Among them, some very well known African- American leaders. Reverend Al Sharpton said that he is not going to be here, he does not plan on attending, he does not endorse the march. Russell Simmons from Def Jam Productions, the rappers Jay Zee and Ludicrous also listed as endorsers, they're saying that they are not going to be here, not endorsing. And Sylvia's Restaurant from, a very well known restaurant in Harlem.
Now, police have said that they are preparing for a crowd of 10,000, which is what organizers say they expect. But we've spoken to a lot of people in the community. Many of them said they didn't even know the march was going to be taking place. So we'll see what happens later on today -- Sean.
CALLEBS: A crowd of 10,000 could be ambitious.
Maria Hinojosa, thanks very much for joining us from Brooklyn this morning.
We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 6, 2003 - 08:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, crowds are expected in Brooklyn, New York this morning for the Million Youth March.
Our CNN's Maria Hinojosa now joins us with the very latest from there -- good morning, Maria.
MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Sean.
Well, we're in the heart of Bed-Stuy, which is the heart of the African-American community here in Brooklyn. And today's march is being organized by two main groups, a group that calls itself the New Black Panther Party and a group that calls itself the Committee To Honor Black Heroes.
They say that their main point for today's so-called Million Youth March is to create a movement for black power and unity, to make a statement against police violence and to recruit young African- American voters.
Now, they are drawing their name from the very well known Million Man March that happened in 1995. That was a march that was called by Minister Louis Farrakhan and did, in fact, draw hundreds of thousands of predominantly African-American men to the nation's capital.
Here in New York, there was the first Million Youth March in 1998. That drew just a few several thousand. It was a march that many who attended said was anti-white, antis, anti-police. It did end up with some violence against protesters and some violence between the protesters and the police.
Now, this year's march is also somewhat controversial. Again, it's being called by a group that says they are the New Black Panther Party. But, in fact, the original Black Panthers have said that they have nothing to do with the New Black Panther Party. The original Black Panthers saying that they are a group based on love and they say that this New Black Panther Party really is much more based on hate.
Now, also, interestingly, on the Million Youth March Web site, they have a list of endorsers. And when we called some of these endorsers to see if they were going to be here today at the march, many of them said they had no plans whatsoever to be here and were not going to be taking part. Among them, some very well known African- American leaders. Reverend Al Sharpton said that he is not going to be here, he does not plan on attending, he does not endorse the march. Russell Simmons from Def Jam Productions, the rappers Jay Zee and Ludicrous also listed as endorsers, they're saying that they are not going to be here, not endorsing. And Sylvia's Restaurant from, a very well known restaurant in Harlem.
Now, police have said that they are preparing for a crowd of 10,000, which is what organizers say they expect. But we've spoken to a lot of people in the community. Many of them said they didn't even know the march was going to be taking place. So we'll see what happens later on today -- Sean.
CALLEBS: A crowd of 10,000 could be ambitious.
Maria Hinojosa, thanks very much for joining us from Brooklyn this morning.
We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
