For their own reasons, dozens of Lehigh Valley men yesterday joined hundreds of thousands of others here in a collective sense of purpose. Take Frizel Stanley, a retired construction worker who could have spent the sunny
day in the familiar surroundings of his Whitehall Township home.
day in the familiar surroundings of his Whitehall Township home.But Stanley boarded a bus at 2 a.m. with memories of his grandson, who died in a drive-by shooting in Detroit eight months ago. "He was supposed to graduate high school in June," said Stanley, 72. "But he got killed in March."
Youth violence was just one item on the "Million Man March" agenda that was reflected in the individual experiences of those riding this bus from Pennsylvania.
Auto mechanic and bartender Tom Augustus, 46, of Easton, came in search of the communal feeling he remembers as a child. He found it in the reunion atmosphere at the march.
"Nobody has a chip on his shoulder. Nobody has an attitude. It's beautiful. It's beautiful," Augustus said. "Anytime you can get something like that to take place, it's positive."
As he spoke, men who had spent the night on the road slumbered around him on the Capitol lawn or ate. Others conversed in small circles. Children tossed a football. Video camcorders scanned high and low.
"These are the real folks," said Fulton Thornton, 49, Lehigh Valley march organizer. "Nobody is out here to fight. They're here to show the world black people can come together."
Augustus works three jobs and seven days a week. He put that aside yesterday for the rare chance to link with strangers in common good.
"I felt it was my duty to come out and stand for something," Augustus said. "This is the first chance I've had to really come out and do something like this. I just said I'm going to take the time to do it."
Read full article here: Dozens From L.v. Joined Multitude Million Man March
Youth violence was just one item on the "Million Man March" agenda that was reflected in the individual experiences of those riding this bus from Pennsylvania.
Auto mechanic and bartender Tom Augustus, 46, of Easton, came in search of the communal feeling he remembers as a child. He found it in the reunion atmosphere at the march.
"Nobody has a chip on his shoulder. Nobody has an attitude. It's beautiful. It's beautiful," Augustus said. "Anytime you can get something like that to take place, it's positive."
As he spoke, men who had spent the night on the road slumbered around him on the Capitol lawn or ate. Others conversed in small circles. Children tossed a football. Video camcorders scanned high and low.
"These are the real folks," said Fulton Thornton, 49, Lehigh Valley march organizer. "Nobody is out here to fight. They're here to show the world black people can come together."
Augustus works three jobs and seven days a week. He put that aside yesterday for the rare chance to link with strangers in common good.
"I felt it was my duty to come out and stand for something," Augustus said. "This is the first chance I've had to really come out and do something like this. I just said I'm going to take the time to do it."
Read full article here: Dozens From L.v. Joined Multitude Million Man March
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