Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan addresses hundreds of thousands of marchers at the National Mall in Washington D.C., during the "Million Man March" October 16, 1995. Farrakhan said that America remains two racially divided societies. Farrakhan's son Mustafa is on left.

On October 16, 1995, hundreds of thousands of African-American men converged upon the National Mall in Washington D.C. on a call to re-commit to their responsibilities to themselves, their families and their communities.

Sixteen years later, event organizers have again put out a similar call to action.

The 16th anniversary of the Million Man March will take place the weekend of Oct. 7-9 in Philadelphia, PA.

“This commemoration couldn’t come at a better time,” says Minister Rodney Mohammad, a member of The Greater Philadelphia Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and the media liaison to Minister Louis Farrakhan, head of the Nation of Islam, who created the Million Man March in 1995.

“We stand in violation of the pledge that we made in DC that day,” Mohammad says. “Our failure to stand by our pledge has allowed disunity to creep in our communities, making them worse off than they were in 1995.”

Farrakhan will again bring the keynote address.

The effort will focus on hunger, street violence and political accountability. A food drive will also support hungry families in the city of Philadelphia, which has the second highest rate of food hardship for families with children in the nation.

Details:

When: Oct. 7-9

Where: The Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch Streets, Philadelphia

For information, visit: www.NOI.org

(Photo: Mike Theiler/Reuters)