The New York City march in Harlem, promised earlier as a follow-up to the Million Man March in Washington in 1995 and the Million Woman March in Philadelphia last year, drew thousands of people. It was primarily organized by Khallid Abdul Muhammad, a former aide to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.  Endorsements for the event came from a cross section of entertainers, athletes and civil rights activists including Rev. Al Sharpton of New York. 

The theme for the rally was Black Power into the Year 2000, Keeping it Real, Saving Our Youth, Securing Our Future. Among the things marchers called for were ending gang conflict, creating youth community security groups, and dedicating themselves to nation building. The march and rally staged over the objections of New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was marked by a heavy show of police force resulting in officers storming the stage at the end of the court-ordered parade permit. The mayor labeled the event a march of hate while Rev. Sharpton criticized the mayor for not allowing a grace period of several minutes before shutting down the rally. 

Meanwhile, their numbers only reached nearly 400 at a closing event in Atlanta on Labor Day, but as one organizer described it, this event was very peaceful, dignified, and proud. The marchers, mostly young African Americans, marched through the historic neighborhood where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born and rallied across the street from Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. King once preached. There were several weekend events in Atlanta involving thousands of people from throughout the nation which culminated in the Labor Day march and rally. 

The theme was Preparing Youth for the New Millennium. This was an effort led and organized by youth groups from around the country including the International Black Student Alliance (IBSA), the Nation of Islam Student Association, Young People in Action and the Economic National Underprivileged Foundation. One of the ISBA coordinators from Topeka, KS, Lazone Grays, commented there's a spiritual, social and economic decline taking place in our country and our children are caught in the middle. The Million Youth Movement believes we can't fix what we won't face so now is the time for change. The highlight of the Atlanta event was the development of a special 10 year action plan. It's composed of long-range objectives dealing with elevating the spirituality of African-American youth and supporting more intense social, political, economic and educational development in African-American communities nationwide. Among the organizations endorsing the Atlanta event were the NAACP, the Nation of Islam, the National Urban League, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, the National Congress of Negro Women, and several student groups associated with historically Black colleges and universities in Atlanta. 
 

Speakers included Rev. Jesse Jackson of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and Kweisi Mfume, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Mfume said of the youth initiative, it's about economic, education, social and systemic issues, and the plight of young people who're, quite frankly, faced with issues today that I never faced in my time.