A national precedent
The Million Man March forms part of the immediate historical context.
Philadelphia October 25, 1997
The Million Woman March: History, Voices and Legacy
Explore the October 25, 1997 gathering in Philadelphia, the people who organized it, the issues it addressed, the 2017 twentieth anniversary, and its place in American history.
Independent historical publication. Not an official website of the Million Woman March or its organizers.
Historical record
FILE 10.25.97
October
25
1997
Documented place
Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Reference copy
At a glance
Quick facts
- Date
- October 25, 1997
- Location
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Primary organizers
- Philé Chionesu & Asia Coney
- Focus
- Black women, families, communities and self-determination
- Attendance
- Estimates vary considerably by source
Orientation desk
Start here
Four essential guides provide a clear, sourced introduction to the march and its historical context.
01
Essential overview
What Was the Million Woman March?
Begin with the event, its purpose and its place in the history of Black women’s organizing.
Open guide
02
Historical context
Why Was the March Organized?
Explore the social conditions, community priorities and grassroots call that shaped the gathering.
Open guide
03
People & networks
Who Organized the Million Woman March?
Meet Philé Chionesu, Asia Coney and the wider volunteer networks behind the 1997 march.
Open guide
04
Ideas & demands
What Was the Million Woman March Platform?
Read a sourced guide to the issues organizers placed at the center of the public agenda.
Open guideChronology
A movement across time
Grassroots organizing
Local networks build momentum through community and early internet channels.
The Philadelphia march
Black women gather along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Ten years later
Anniversary activity continues the march’s public memory.
Twentieth anniversary
A reunion and week of anniversary activities take place in Philadelphia.
Twenty-five years
The march is revisited through remembrance and new announcements.
Thirty-year milestone
A historical anniversary—no official event is implied by this archive.
Reading rooms
Explore the collections
Browse focused paths through the event, its people, ideas, anniversaries and source record.
1997
PEO
12
20
LEG
SRC
The March
Origins, route, attendance, media coverage and the day itself.
People
Organizers, speakers, participants and community networks.
Platform
Education, health, justice, family and community priorities.
Anniversaries
The 2017 reunion and how the march has been remembered.
Legacy
Historical context, interpretations and continuing relevance.
Research Archive
Newspapers, source guides, bibliography and archival pathways.
Research desk
Recently added to the archive
New and recently revised guides from across the historical collection.
Browse research & sourcesAbout this publication
History presented with context and care
MillionWomanMarch20.com is independently operated and documents the 1997 Million Woman March, its organizers, platform, anniversary activities and continuing legacy as a historical and educational reference.
It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the National Million Woman March, its founders, organizers, speakers, or related organizations. Attendance figures and disputed historical claims are presented as sourced estimates and interpretations.
Independent
Source-led
Educational