On May 19th, we will be celebrating the
birthday of one of our great African in America leaders, Malcolm X. On
May 19th, Brother Malcolm would have been 74 years old. Malcolm was born
May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska.
Even though Malcolm is no longer physically
with us his spirit still lives and his profound contributions to worldwide
African Liberation remain significant.
It was on February 21, 1965 that Malcolm
X was assassinated at the Audobon Ballroom in Manhattan, New York by forces
who were trying to stop his impact on our movement. They were not successful.
He is still our "Shining Black Prince."
Malcolm X is a man that should be studied
carefully in our efforts to examine a critical period in our history--
the 1960's. For it was during this period that Malcolm X became an internationally
known and respected African in America leader, whose ideas were widely
discussed and debated.
It was through the Nation of Islam, under
the leadership of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, that Malcolm X
was given an opportunity to develop his tremendous talents as a teacher,
researcher, orator, and organizer.
Malcolm X joined the Nation of Islam while
in prison in 1952. After his release in the mid 1950's, Malcolm X became
a full-time minister for the Nation of Islam that became one of the most
important organizations in the history of African in America, people. From
his main base in Harlem, at Mosque Number 7, he launched his talents on
the world.
Malcolm X was a revolutionary who presented
a model of Black manhood that shook the world. When Malcolm X finally left
the Nation of Islam, because of internal differences, he decided to take
his first trip to Mother Africa. Malcolm spent five weeks in Africa, from
April 13th to May 21st, 1964.
This trip helped reestablish our links
with the movement to reclaim "Africa for the Africans." Malcolm met many
of the leaders and people of Africa. He visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon,
Nigeria, Ghana, Monrovia, Liberia, Senegal, Tanzania, Guinea, Morocco,
and Algeria.
This trip and subsequent trips abroad helped
Malcolm sharpen his understanding of the worldwide system of white supremacy
as the number one enemy of African people throughout the world. This
has not changed.
After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm
began to broaden his organizing strategies by attempting to reach out and
work with many of the more established civil rights organizations and movement
tendencies to a common organizational vehicle. Malcolm began building this
vehicle through his establishment of the Organization For Afro-American
Unity (OAAU).
Malcolm felt that a United Front was the
necessary mechanism by which the political consciousness of African American
people could be raised. Also, he felt that this United Front would be the
common voice we needed to represent the Black Liberation movement in this
country. Many of us are still working to build this United Front concept
of organizing toward our liberation in America.
In the spirit of Malcolm, let us summarize
his contributions:
Remember Malcolm!