Thousands Pour In for ‘Million Man March’ in D.C. : Event: Many vow to turn the gathering of black men into a show of racial solidarity. Participants arrive against a backdrop of growing debate about the social gulf between nation’s whites and blacks.

Arriving in crowded buses, trains, planes and cars, the first of tens of thousands of African American men poured into the capital Sunday for today’s “Million Man March,” with many declaring their intention to turn the much-debated gathering into a show of group resolve and racial solidarity.

As planned by the march’s organizers, participants in the daylong series of speeches, prayers and music will “atone” for their destructive behavior against themselves and others, and then commit themselves to seize control of their future.

“I’m so glad to be living and participating in this event,” said Michael Williams, a 32-year-old mathematics professor at Prairie View A&M; University in southeast Texas, as he joined the early throng surveying the rally site on the Mall on the eve of the march. “This is a chance for me to say I’m here and I care about black men and black people.”

James Scott, a project engineer for Kraft Foods in Houston, agreed: “If it’s Monday and you’re black and a man, then you’ve got to be here.” Pointing to his head, he added: “If you’re not in Washington, where are you at up here? This is the only place for [conscientious] brothers to be.”

Those statements were counterbalanced by strong denunciations from critics who are staying away from today’s event, but all indications were that the turnout would be substantial.

The participants are arriving as a national debate grows about the social chasm between many whites and blacks in modern America, and about the deepening troubles that seem to be particularly afflicting young black men.

As political leaders struggle over how much the government’s social programs have failed or are even to blame for the problems, the march is intended as an opportunity for black men to declare self-determination.

And while the controversial background and views of the march’s key figure, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, have triggered opposition among some in the black community, the idea has attracted many young black men, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, who say they are weary of outsiders’ solutions.

Because of a loose and far-flung organizing effort, estimates on today’s attendance remained uncertain, with best guesses by law enforcement officials varying from 150,000 to 500,000. City officials said they are braced for up to 1 million people. By many accounts, the crowd could compare with the 1963 March on Washington, at which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech to 250,000 people.

Sunday night, about 5,000 people gathered at the Washington Convention Center for a kickoff rally and heard a series of ministers offer prayers for the safety of the marchers and words of gratitude for their presence.

The rally had a revival spirit and was meant to show church support for an event that has been shunned by a number of religious leaders.

“We are marching tomorrow for the living, the dead and the unborn,” declared the Rev. Walter Fauntroy, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church, to a huge cheer. Fauntroy, who took part in the 1963 march, and other speakers said this event is linked in spirit to the famous civil rights demonstrations of the past.

Betty Shabazz, widow of Malcolm X, also spoke at the rally and hugged a Nation of Islam minister to show her support for the group’s efforts. “Finally, at long last the other half of the human beings that hold up the sky--the men--have decided to march into the new millennium in support of themselves, their children and their women,” she said.

Attracting people to the march seemed to be less of a problem than accommodating them.

Less than 12 hours before activities were to begin, workers were scrambling to set up the public-address system on the Mall and to wire six giant-screen televisions that will broadcast to the crowd the action on the stage set up in front of the west steps of the Capitol.

By late Sunday, the stage itself had not been erected, though the area was marked off by yellow tape.

Some of those scouting for good vantage points expressed concern about the work yet undone. But one young man said to a companion: “Don’t worry. Nothing is going to spoil this event. Nothing.”

Official march activities are scheduled to begin with a prayer service at 5 a.m. EDT today. An assortment of activities will follow until 11:30 a.m., when the series of keynote speeches is to get under way.

The formal program is set to end about 4 p.m. and be followed by a festival of music and entertainment.

No final schedule or list of participants was available late Sunday, but those expected to make speeches or appearances at the podium include the Rev. Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist Rosa Parks and poet and author Maya Angelou. The two leading organizers, Farrakhan and ex-NAACP Executive Director Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., will also speak.

Farrakhan and Chavis have in recent weeks vigorously promoted and defended the idea of the rally, but Farrakhan, the focus of controversy, abruptly canceled a last round of interviews on national television talk shows Sunday.

His chief of staff, Leonard F. Muhammad, told NBC-TV’s “Meet the Press” that Farrakhan was suffering from exhaustion, but later a representative of the march said he was not ill.

“He’s fine,” Bob Storman said. “The bottom line is the minister is just trying to stay fresh for tomorrow, that’s the big day. There’s a lot of last-minute details that need to be taken care of.”

While organizers continued to struggle with the schedule and logistics, a sense of excitement mounted among those arriving for the event. The airports, railroad station, subway platforms and streets were bustling with men eager to take part in what many said is a piece of history.

Thousands more were to arrive in the early morning hours today in a procession of buses into the city center or by subway after being delivered to remote staging areas.

Already Sunday, the Mall was transformed by the approaching event. Vendors hawked “One in a Million” buttons and red, green and black T-shirts with the slogan “999,999 Black Men and Me.” Members of the Nation of Islam offered bean pies and copies of the Final Call, the group’s weekly newspaper.

Young men watched the parade of out-of-state license plates, shouted and gave clenched-fist greetings to each other.

“Business is going great,” said one vendor, Lateef Mangum. “I’ve sold about 40 buttons. I even sold six buttons to white folks.”

Kenneth Caesar, a salesman at Home Depot in San Diego, said he knew he had to come to Washington for the march but wondered why President Clinton chose to leave.

“He should be here like I am here, to bear witness to what’s going on with the black man in America,” he said.

Clinton, who spoke in Storrs, Conn., on Sunday, is scheduled to be in Texas today.

White House aides said Clinton will speak about race relations during his trip to Austin, praising as honorable those marchers who are declaring their support for increased personal responsibility and self-reliance.

Yet, in a slap at Farrakhan, he will say “he can’t condone those who use divisive tactics to tear our country apart,” said one aide.

In a television interview Sunday, Harold M. Ickes, the White House deputy chief of staff, said Clinton “does not endorse the march, certainly does not endorse the bigoted, hateful, anti-Semitic, sexist comments of Louis Farrakhan.”

The debate continued to rage about whether Farrakhan’s prominent role in the march fatally tainted it for those who reject his controversial views on Jews, Roman Catholics and racial separatism.

Many of those arriving for the march said they were here to show solidarity with other black men, not to endorse any politician or opinion leader.

Robert Woodson of the Neighborhood Enterprise Center, one of several commentators who took on the issue in panel discussions Sunday, agreed.

“I will not be participating in the march, but my 16-year-old son, Jamal, will be, which I think expresses the kind of dilemma that many families face in this whole issue,” he said on “Meet the Press.” He added: “My son is not coming because of Louis Farrakhan. He’s coming because he wants to join in solidarity with young men who are less fortunate than he is.”

Others, including conservative Republican Rep. Gary Franks of Connecticut, insisted that Farrakhan’s agenda cannot be separated from the march.

“I think some people have been hoodwinked into showing up for this event. They were told that this is an event in which ‘let’s bring together all black men to talk about personal responsibility.’ In reality, this is an event about promoting Louis Farrakhan,” he said.

“This is an important and historic meeting, and I’m going to savor it before I return back home,” said Musa Kaleem of San Diego. “Allah has blessed us with this event, and I just hope everyone will understand the message black men who are coming here are sending.”

Williams, the march participant from Texas, said he was glad he could get to Washington soon enough to beat the crush.

“I’m glad I did because I think we’re going to camp out here to keep our spot for the morning,” he said, pointing toward the Washington Monument further down the Mall. “I hear this march is going to take up 20 city blocks. “I want to be as close to the front as possible.”

Times staff writer Paul Richter in Storrs, Conn., contributed to this story.