NARRATOR: Washington's National Mall, the focal point of protests and marches since the 19th century, saw many during the 90s.

750,000 demonstrators at the 1992 March for Women's Lives, and in 1993, nearly a million people marching for gay rights.

But no 90s march attracted more attention than the Million Man March in 1995.

PAT: Everybody wondered what that would be like.

A million men, African-American men, on The Mall.

MAN: I'm here for the unity part of it, and I'm here because I'm a responsible Black man.

PAT: It was organized by Minister Louis Farrakhan, who, as you know, was a very controversial figure at the time.

CORA: The minister wanted to talk to a million men, to talk to them about responsibility, accountability, family, you know, holding their head up.

SAM: I convinced a few of my friends to go, just to see what it would be like.

Let's just drop this hard shell you've built up and let's just be with each other, enjoy each other's company, meet other black men.

TONY: I remember that incredible feeling of brotherhood, and I never seen so many people in my life.

I remember leaving there feeling like this was the start of something different.

TOM: People were so fearful that African-American men were going to flood the nation's capital.

Those kinds of attitudes somewhat overshadowed what, in fact, was a remarkable, peaceful, family-oriented march.

NARRATOR: But still there was controversy.

PAT: The debate was about numbers.

Were there really a million?

That was so unfortunate because that was not the point.

TOM: I think the Park Service suggested it was around 400,000, but it doesn't matter; it was a huge march.

I was there, and what I saw were people saying, "We matter."

NARRATOR: For more clips and to watch the full program, visit weta.org/decades.