1995

The U.S. prison population doubled during the 1990s, driven by mandatory minimums and the War on Drugs. By 1995, Black men were incarcerated at eight times the rate of white men. Drug arrests of Black Americans increased 26% between 1990 and 1995 even as drug use surveys showed comparable rates across races. One in three Black men in their twenties was under criminal justice supervision by 1995.

By 1995, one in three Black men in their twenties was under criminal justice supervision — prison, jail, probation, or parole — according to the Sentencing Project. Black men were incarcerated at eight times the rate of white men. The U.S. prison population doubled during the 1990s, driven by mandatory minimums and drug enforcement.

Between 1995 and 1996, at least 66 predominantly Black churches were burned across the South and elsewhere, including Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal congregations. Fires destroyed historic churches in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Congress passed the Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996 unanimously. President Clinton convened a task force; investigators linked some fires to white supremacist groups.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission unanimously recommended eliminating the 100:1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine, finding it racially discriminatory since 84% of federal crack defendants were Black while powder cocaine defendants were predominantly white. Congress rejected the recommendation — the only time in history it overrode a Sentencing Commission guideline amendment — and President Clinton signed the rejection into law.

Former NFL star O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murdering Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman after a 474-day trial. Polls showed 70% of Black Americans believed the verdict was correct while 70% of white Americans disagreed. Defense attorneys Johnnie Cochran and F. Lee Bailey successfully argued LAPD detective Mark Fuhrman's racism tainted evidence. The verdict revealed deep racial divisions in American perceptions of law enforcement.

Organized by Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan and NAACP's Benjamin Chavis, the Million Man March drew an estimated 400,000 to 837,000 Black men to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The march emphasized Black male atonement, unity, and family responsibility. It was among the largest gatherings in Washington's history. Speakers included Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, and Stevie Wonder.

Jonny Gammage, 31, cousin of Pittsburgh Steelers player Ray Seals, died after being stopped by five suburban Pittsburgh officers in Brentwood, PA. Officers restrained Gammage face-down; he suffocated. Three officers were charged; two trials ended in acquittals, and charges against the third officer were dropped. The case exposed racial disparities in Pittsburgh-area policing and generated sustained local protest.

Jonny Gammage, 31, cousin of Steeler Ray Seals, died after five suburban Pittsburgh officers in Brentwood, PA restrained him face-down following a traffic stop. He suffocated. Three officers were charged; two trials ended in acquittals, the third had charges dropped. Sustained local protests followed.

Former Maryland congressman Kweisi Mfume was named president and CEO of the NAACP, taking over an organization $3.2 million in debt and riven by scandal following Benjamin Chavis's removal. Mfume eliminated the debt within two years, rebuilt membership, and refocused the organization on voter registration, economic empowerment, and criminal justice reform. Under his leadership, NAACP membership grew from 550,000 to 600,000.

Hundreds of thousands of Black men gather in Washington for atonement and unity.