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Religious Controversy
Minister Louis Farrakhan stirred up religious controversy among the Christian and the Jewish communities. He had acquired unfavorable attention from African American Christians and “was compared to Adolf Hitler” by the Jewish Community by using anti-Semitic rhetoric and views. Louis Farrakhan was “against those Jews who have sacrificed their deep moral-religious heritage for a set of values grounded in capitalist exploitation and oppression.” Many critics had considered that supporters of the march were approving Louis Farrakhan and his Islamic traditions. There emerged concern about Farrakhan’s hidden political agenda in registering black males to vote as non-affiliate or independent parties. Farrakhan may have organized the march to “simply prove that he was the man who could make it happen; he would then capitalize on the prominence he hoped it would confer.”

Sexism
The feminists also had issue with the lack of female participation in the march that was labeled an “all male” event. “The entire purpose of this march is to encourage and stimulate black men to overcome apathy and resentment and start making a difference.” This lack of representation of females in the march for social and economic change was problematic for feminists. Creating a separation in the movement became a topic of great controversy. Although it has been argued that, “Organizers excluded women from the march to send a two-part message” that men need to improve their character and women need to recognize their place “in the home.” Although the movement sought to unify urban black populations this massive exclusion supported antiquated expectations of gender normatives and social constructs about race, class, and gender. To collectively recognize social inequalities pertaining to racism and then to turn around and label the family dynamic troubles as caused by distant black men is emasculating and problematic.

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