Reflecting On The Spotted Owl

Reflecting on the Spotted Owl

The Million Man March is a pivotal point for black people, specifically black men. In Los Angeles, many of us boarded the Spotted Owl with hopes of being a part of something great. We left our women behind so we could stand tall like the men they need us to be. Although we are divided by age, economic status, religious affiliation and family background, we are united as "brothers." We are connected by the blood of our ancestors coursing through our veins. Our skin tones run the gamut from peanut butter to ebony, but we are all black men.

Jeremiah, the oldest man on the bus is going to Washington to make up for past mistakes. He missed the March on Washington in 1963 and has been waiting for an opportunity to unite with his people ever since. Jeremiah allowed himself to be placed "into the white man's pocket." He smiled, bowed, and danced the jig to keep a job, to keep a home and provide for his family. He gave up a portion of his manhood and his blackness to have the "nicer" things in life. In the end, those same people he had so diligently worked for, downsized the company and fired him. All the smiling, bowing, and dancing did not hide the fact that he was a black man living in a white man's world. After losing his job, he lost his home, his cars and his possessions. He turned to alcohol to soothe his aching heart and soon lost his family as well. The Million Man March was a chance for Jeremiah to repent for his mistakes.

Evan Junior is the only one of us who is not on the bus by choice. He came along because he cannot make a move without his father, literally. Even is a troubled young man who recently got into some trouble with the law. He stole money from the register of a grocery store and has to be shackled to his father for the next seventy-two hours. Evan is very angry with his father, not only for enforcing the restraints but for not being a part of his life up until now. He doesn't understand what gives his father the right to come charging back into his life after all this time. Evan is upset because his father was not around to teach him how to ride a bike, how to throw a football, how to be a man.

Evan Senior is going to the Million Man March to show his son that black men can make something positive of their lives and stick together in a time of need. He is taking Evan Junior to hopefully open his eyes to a life other than the one he leads now. Evan Senior admits to making a lot of mistakes when it came to being a father. He was very young when Evan's mother discovered she was pregnant and instead of stepping up to the plate and being a man, he did the childish thing and ran away. He just wants and needs Evan Junior to understand that he is sorry and cannot go back in time to change the past, but he is more than willing to start over and be a father if Evan will let him. He is not proud of the way he handled things with Evan and his mother,