Women in Support of the Million Man March, Inc. (WISOMMM) is a non-profit community based organization born out of the Million Man March, which took place in Washington D.C. on October 16, 1995. WISOMMM was originally formed to be a women’s contingent and a means of support for the march. The women of WISOMMM vowed to continue the spirit and momentum they had achieved during the march and to recommit themselves to serving the community according to the tenets of the Million Man March which include faith empowerment, self-love, self-determination and reunification of the family.

Fredrica Bey has been Executive Director of the organization since its inception in November 1995. This diverse group of women incorporated WISOMMM and consists of a governing body and executive staff of 16 members, and a nine member Advisory Board. In January 1997, the organization purchased 53 Lincoln Park, a mansion in Newark’s historic Lincoln Park District. The headquarters, known as WISOMMM Mansion, is an 18 th Century Victorian home, which is registered with the New Jersey Historical Society as a Historical Landmark.

WISOMMM has successfully opened its state-of the arts child care center under the guidance of Head Start and the Newark Public School District. They also purchased another landmark facility at 67-69 Lincoln Park. In October 2004 WISOMMM purchased the Second Presbyterian Church a 65,000 sq. ft. This facility consists of three buildings, which is currently houses the African American Education, Cultural and Resource Center, in which they plan to expand the work tied to their mission. All three facilities will host on-going community events and programs. Some of the programs currently sponsored by WISOMMM are the Boycott Crime Campaign-programs and events focused on providing young people with educational, cultural and economic alternatives to crime; the “American Prisons…Second Coming of Slavery” – a series of open forums and town hall meetings to discuss the human rights violations within the Prison Industrial Complex and work out remedies and solutions to the same. Organizations which currently call WISOMMM Mansion home are The Girl Scouts of Greater Essex and Hudson Counties, Newark Teachers Association, Newark Literacy Campaign, NJ Chapter of Sister’s Network-a national Breast Cancer Survivors support organization for African American women, and the Newark Branch of the NAACP.

Each year WISOMMM honors notable people throughout the African American Community at its annual African Ball. Past awardees include Mayor-Senator Sharpe James Sy Henderson of Fleet Bank, Gail Davis of PSE&G, Dr. Adelaide L. Sanford and entrepreneur Ruben Johnson.

In September, 2003 WISOMMM was proud to unveil the “Sacred Wall”, an ancestral memorial dedicated to fallen Africans who perished during Middle Passage. The wall is showcased at the WISOMMM Mansion in the recently landscaped children’s garden.

In 2004 WISOMMM has embarked on its most ambitious project ever. The organization has purchased the Second Presbyterian Church at 15 James Street to develop Newark’s first African American Education and Cultural Resource Center. We thank God for the blessing. We thank the Honorable Gayle Chaneyfield-Jenkins and the Honorable Mayor/ Senator Sharpe James for the first African Cultural Center would not have been possible without his very generous aid and assistance.

As a viable community-based organization, WISOMMM continues to increase its capacity to better serve children and their families in the Great City of Newark.

WISOMMM HIGHLIGHTS:

1995

Funded and helped rally over 50,000 men into Washington, DC from NJ to the Million Man March

1996

Formed a non-profit corporation

1997

Fund raised to purchase headquarters

Purchased the WISOMMM Mansion at 53 Lincoln Park

Sponsored First Annual Children’s Arts Festival

Girls Scouts of Greater Essex and Hudson Counties became residents

of the WISOMMM Mansion

Muslim, Inc. became residents of the mansion

Newark Teachers Association became residents of the mansion

Opening of the children’s Math and Science Academy

WISOMMM Computer Lab opens

Launched the WISOMMM Banquet Services

Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan visits the mansion

Honorable Wynona Lipman, State Senator visits the mansion

Hosted Interfaith Pilgrimage which retraced the African Slave Trade route from America to Africa

1998

Launched quarterly “American Prisons…Second Coming of Slavery” Public Forum

Founded Boycott Crime Campaign

Hosted monthly meetings of Sisters Network Breast Cancer Support group

Produced the WISOMMM Cable Television Show, Airs Tuesdays Newark Cablevision Channel 19

1999

Co-Hosted Winnie Madikizela Mandela at a grand reception with Black Cops Against Police Brutality

Joined Newark’s Lincoln Park Arts Corridor Committee

2000

Child Care Center under construction at 53 Lincoln Park

Launched the WISOMMM Website – www.wisommm.org

2001

Opened The WISOMMM Child Care Center

Purchased 67-69 Lincoln Park, Newark, NJ

Isaiah House’s HIV/AIDS Counseling Program, residents of the mansion

Board Members attended the International World Conference on Racism

2002

Sacred Memorial Wall erected to African Ancestors who perished during the middle passage. The Sacred Wall was erected in the newly planted children’s garden.

2004

Purchased the Second Presbyterian Church at 15 James Street to develop the First African American Education, Cultural and Resource Center in Newark, New Jersey

Imam Warith Deen Mohammed visits the Mansion and Cultural Center

Mike Tyson visits the Mansion and Child Care Center

Co-sponsored Black Cops Against Police Brutality’s 13 th Annual Pre-Kwanzaa Fest

2005

Expanded WISOMMM Child Care Center

Established WISOMMM Event Services

Pan African Forum Co-Sponsored by WISOMMM and the December 12 th Movement a reception for Ambassador of Zimbabwe, Boniface Chidyausiku at WISOMMM Mansion

Co-Sponsored Greater Newark NJ Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund with Community

organizations, and raised over $7,000 for victims.

Collected goods and clothing- Sent 2 Tractor Trailer Trucks to the Gulf States

Co-Sponsored with the City of Newark, WISOMMM’S 5 th Annual youth Festival Hosted Ebony Fashion Fair

NAACP Becomes Tenants 67 Lincoln Park

Dr. Leonard Jeffries sponsors ASCAC Convention at Cultural Center