SIUC students showed local support for the Million Man March in Washington on Monday in ways varying from boycotting classes to watching the events unfold on television.

Stacie Craig, a graduate student in theater from Carrier Mills, said she boycotted her classes Monday in support of the Million Man March held in Washington, D.C.

I did it in honor of the fact that all African Americans were urged to stay home today and not go to work, Craig said. I’ve watched it all day on CNN and C-SPAN.

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A C-SPAN report of more than 1.5 million people attended the rally, with about 70 people representing Southern Illinois there.

Craig said one of the more moving speeches she witnessed on television was from a little boy of about 12.

The little boy encouraged black men to be mentors for their families and to give something back for us to be proud of, she said.

The march previously had received criticism for its exclusion of women. Craig said she did feel somewhat offended that it was considered an African-American male march.

They are stressing the men have to stand up and be counted, she said. But that’s what homes are lacking a male role model.

Lori Wall, a sophomore in biological sciences from Chicago, said she sees the march as a good opportunity to share the struggles and frustrations about society as a whole.

I think it’s a very historical event as far as my generation goes, Wall said. We’ve shown that a group has gotten together and become uniform without problems.

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Wall said she had heard reports that African-American women were advised to be cautious if they attended the event because violence could occur, but she believed African-American males were more in need of this type of rally.

I think we have more of a problem with African-American men regarding drugs, crime and low rate of college attendance, she said. It is more sensitive and essential to bring the men together.

Timothy Oden, a junior in electrical engineering from Chicago, said he knew several people that attended the rally, from both Carbondale and his hometown.

I wanted to go, Oden said. But I am participating here in my own way. This is just a start towards unity.

Oden said the only negative aspect of the Million Man March was the media coverage of the event, in which newspapers and television seemed to be focusing on Louis Farrakhan rather than what he was promoting.

Everything else about the rally is positive, Oden said. To get people to get up and participate with someone as flamboyant as Farrakhan, a lot of people looked past his past, which brought out unity.

This is an opportunity for America to see black men in a positive light, he said. We are coming together in a peaceful way, and we have a right to voice our opinions.

Many black organizations were not in support of the rally, including the national charter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Urban League.

You will always have people who will not support this type of thing, Oden said. They probably thought it was just one group trying to promote themselves.

A lot of people want to disassociate with the rally, saying, Farrakhan is not a voice for me,’ Craig said.