The Rev. Willie F. Wilson achieved national recognition for his Christian ministry that stresses Black liberation themes and his political and spiritual activities on behalf of the Pan-African diaspora as the senior pastor of Union Temple Baptist Church in Southeast Washington, D.C., for nearly 50 years.
Wilson, the pastor emeritus at Union Temple, having passed the leadership mantle to his daughter, the Rev. Anika Wilson Brown, in 2022, is presently embarking on two activities that defined his tenure as an activist minister with a deep concern for Ward 8 and the larger African American population.
In mid-October, Wilson will lead the effort to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Million Man March that was held on the National Mall and bring back Unifest, an annual Black cultural event sponsored by Union Temple.
“The Million Man March and Unifest are two iconic legacies,” said Wilson in an exclusive interview with The Informer. “Both of those activities created a lot of hope and unity. I visualize the two iconic legacy events together in the month of October.”
Behind the Million Man March 30 Years Ago: Wilson, Barry
On October 16, 1995, multitudes of African American boys and men— with estimates as low as 400,000 and as high as 1.1 million— congregated on the National Mall to listen to speeches from Pan-African, civil and human rights, fraternal, political and religious leaders. Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan served as the keynote speaker.
Leading up to the historic 1995 day, Wilson volunteered as an advisor to the event and Union Temple served as an organizing point for the march’s leadership, along with the national headquarters of Phi Beta Sigma in the weeks and days leading up to the event.
“This was a significant experience at Union Temple,” said Wilson. “We want to re-live the spirit of the rally that happened on that day among Black men. During that day, no incidents of violence were reported then.”
Cora Masters Barry, the founder and chief executive officer of the Recreation Wishlist Committee that shepherds the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center in Ward 8, was the first lady of the District when the Million Man March took place.
In January 1995, when her husband, the late Marion S. Barry, was sworn in to his fourth term as the District’s mayor, the former first lady said Farrakhan approached her and her husband about whether the city would support a Million Man March.
“Marion said ‘yes,’ and Farrakhan agreed to hold it,” she said, “and I went right to work.”
Barry said she worked on getting support for the march “because there was a lot of resistance.”
“There were some ministers who initially did not endorse it because it was led by Louis Farrakhan, who was not a Christian minister,” she said. “And then there were some women who were opposed because they did not like the idea of an all-male event. However, Dr. Dorothy Height and I put a lot of those concerns to rest, and we had some influence with the event also. The original theme was for Black men to atone for what they were not doing for the Black community. With the help of the Rev. Barbara Skinner, we convinced Minister Farrakhan to change the theme from atonement, to atonement and reconciliation.”
Affectionately called D.C.’s “Forever First Lady,” Barry has been credited for leading the voter registration drive associated with the Million Man March, registering one million Black men nationally.
“It was reported in the media that there was a voter uptick in the 1996 elections (because of the Million Man March),” she told The Informer.
Reviving the March 30 Years Later: Set in Ward 8, Celebrating Women, Involving Youth
Three decades later, Barry is supporting the 30th anniversary march, noting that the celebration will be in Ward 8.
“This will give people a chance to patronize our businesses,” she said.
Ronald Moten, founder of the Go-Go Museum and Café located in Ward 8’s Anacostia neighborhood, attended the Million Man March 30 years ago, a moment that has spurred his activism.
“I came home from prison in October 1994, and I was working with Cease Fire Don’t Smoke the Brothers Inc.,” Moten, 53, said. “It was from the Million Man March that my activism started. I learned how to do things the right way.”
Wilson said the Million Man March encouraged others to become leaders in the community.
“We Act Radio was founded due to the Million Man March,” he said.
For the 30th anniversary, Wilson said he is working in concert with people in Baltimore, Annapolis and Prince George’s County, as well as stakeholders in the District, for the celebration that is set to take place east of the Anacostia River. He said plans are in the works to honor the late Black women leaders who supported the march such as Rosa Parks, Betty Shabazz, Maya Angelou and Height.
Wilson emphasized that young people would play a key role in the celebration with an essay contest planned and other youth-oriented activities. He understands that many of today’s young adults are not fully aware of the importance of the Million Man March, and that is why he wants their participation.
“We want them to understand that the march brought about a spirit of unity,” he said. “That is difficult for them to fully grasp and that is why we want them to be involved. There will be youth speakers at the celebration. There will be parents speaking. It will not just be the men.”
Dr. Bernard Richardson, dean of Howard University’s Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel, recalls the role he played in the activities leading up to the Million Man March.
“It was at Rankin Chapel on the campus that Minister Farrakhan met with various faith leaders from all denominations to gain their support for the march,” Richardson told The Informer, adding that he was not aware of Wilson’s 30th anniversary plans and doesn’t know of any activities that university will have to commemorate the event.
Three decades ago, Dr. Benjamin Chavis, now president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) based in Northwest, D.C., was the national director of the Million Man March, working closely with Farrakhan, both Barrys and other Black leaders in putting the march together.
Chavis told the Informer that Wilson’s celebration of the 30th anniversary is in line with similar events throughout the country and the world. He said the Million Man March was an event to remember.
“On October 16, 1995 over 1.2 million Black men peacefully gathered on the National Mall on the West Front steps of the U.S. Capitol,” he said. “It was the largest African American mobilization in history and had positive results afterward.”
A longtime activist who was unjustly imprisoned as a member of the Wilmington Ten in 1971, Chavis said that Black on Black crime declined significantly and that the African American high school dropout rate also fell. He also uplifted the major rise in Black voter registration, noting that 250,000 marchers were registered to vote at the event.
Chavis pointed out that some Local Organizing Committees (LOC) that were the outgrowth of the march are still functioning.
“One of the LOCs still operating is in Baltimore, which is where I will be on Oct. 16,” he said.
The Resurrection of Unifest: ‘Bringing Black People Together‘
Unifest was started in 1982 as a celebration of the Anacostia community and the Union Temple’s role in it.
The event took place annually until 2007, when a car tragically plowed through while festivities were taking place. Unifest came back briefly in 2009 and has been dormant since.
During its run, Unifest was one of the marquee cultural events highlighting African American culture in the District, with go-go, hip-hop, rhythm and blues and gospel groups providing the music, while attendees shopped at vendors booths and tables and sampled cuisine from eateries– mainly those located in Wards 7 and 8. Attendees also could learn more about social services from governmental agencies and nonprofits.
“We want to highlight new businesses in Anacostia,” said Wilson. “There are plans in the works for a sort of taste of D.C. set up.”
Wilson speculated that the Unifest rejuvenation will occur on Oct. 18 and said it will serve as a precursor to bringing the activity back in June 2026.
Moten said he is excited about Unifest’s return.
“This is an event that will bring Black people together,” Moten said, adding he hopes to bring “thousands of people” to Anacostia for both events. “With all that is going on now, this is a critical time for our community to be unified.”
Despite concerns about the Trump administration’s federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department, immigration concerns, and other heightened tensions, Barry said people should support these unifying events.
“This is an opportunity to celebrate our culture, and we should do it,” she said.
DC really do need that million man march