Minister Louis Farrakhan. To some, the name invokes fury, demagogue sentiments, anger and controversy. To others, this man provokes a sense of esteem, courage, humility and love.

If you happened to tune in to C-SPAN or CNN over the weekend, you were likely to see Farrakhan headlining the Millions More Movement march, which was the 10th anniversary continuance of the historical 1995 Million Man March in Washington, D.C.

Held at the National Mall in D.C., the march represented the mobilization and empowerment of America’s poor and disenfranchised people, no matter their skin color.

Respective leaders from various groups in America ranging from Latinos and Native Americans to Labor party members and lesbian, gay and bisexual communities participated in the event.

According to www.workers.org/2005/us/mmm-rally-1027, the speeches at the event covered a myriad of issues. Some topics were the prison-industrial system and political prisoners, voting rights, gay and lesbian issues, police brutality, reparations and immigrant, economic and political rights and empowerment.

Additionally, people spoke on education and health-care issues, cultural expression and hip-hop, Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq war, a program for national grass-roots organizations and more.

Even though the event was broadly televised and had good intentions, many people across America continue to have a negative or ill-conceived notion of the event’s headliner.

Just think of the name Louis Farrakhan and be honest – what comes to mind?

I went to the Millions More Movement march (which did conflict with my Homecoming-concert plans) and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The messages, the energy, the love expressed – I must’ve been hugged by 100 people I still don’t know – the unity and the power of the day are indescribable.

I’m positive neither Twista nor Ciara would’ve moved me like Farrakhan did.

At a time of hurricane after hurricane, earthquakes in Tokyo, earthquakes killing thousands in Southeast Asia, floods in New Jersey, guns continually being brought to collegiate homecomings, drunken college fights and “Sex and the City,” it was refreshing to be one of more than a reported million people traveling to a place to hear words of unity, love and peace.

It goes beyond Woodstock; no drugs, beer, guns, sexual indiscretion or fights were tolerated.

After the march, I got my Google search on and came across numerous chat rooms focused on the march. It’s a shame to read many of the posts from people who continue to not only misunderstand the importance of the march, but also the significance of Louis Farrakhan.

On one such forum, www.thepoliticalteen.net/2005/10/13/malikonhc, one individual stated they had viewed a little coverage of Farrakhan’s “million more junk” and saw “how many fools show up” to the march. Wow.

Another post on www.nicedoggie.net/2005/index.php?p=1028 compares Farrakhan with a Nazi tyrant prototype spewing nothing but untrue accusations about the government, Jews, whites and the media.

Another on the same forum called the march “the million parasite march.”

As an advocate of free speech, it was a little ironic to read post after post criticizing Farrakhan and the march for being racist and negative, yet many posts were filled with cuss words, negative connotations and slander.

After all, many of those who posted admitted they’ve never given the time of day to many speeches, books or program platforms from Farrakhan or the Nation of Islam because they had decided they were all racist.

The misconceptions continue.

The inability of people to display sincere empathy toward others with opposite perspectives is apparent.

In a perfect world, Farrakhan and the march would be irrelevant and I wouldn’t even have to discuss it. Unlike those who wrote Farrakhan off in four or five sentences in an online forum, I have read and listened to him for four or five years now and know better than that. This world is a little less than perfect and the significance of this man is pivotal, especially in these trying times.

Who else called for a million people to meet in Washington, D.C.’s National Mall and plan efforts to better our collective existence on this planet?

Certainly not Twista, Ciara or those Internet commentators.

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.