The
recent publication of Malcolm
X: A Life of Reinvention by the late Dr. Manning
Marable challenges us to clearly spell out the succinct
contributions of our Shining Prince, Brother Malcolm X.
Given
the controversy surrounding this book, it is important
that we not forget the tremendous impact Brother Malcolm
had on the African Liberation Movement worldwide.
Since
the untimely assassination of Malcolm X in 1965, movement
forces throughout the world have consistently commemorated
his birthday. Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha,
Nebraska.
It
was on February 21, 1965 that Malcolm X was assassinated
at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, New York by forces
that were trying to stop his impact on our movement. They
were not successful. He will forever remain our �Shining
Black Prince.�
Malcolm
X is a man who should be studied carefully in our efforts
to examine a critical period in our history - the 1960s,
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 1950s, Malcolm X became a
full�time minister for the Nation of Islam, an organization
that became one of the most important 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 to 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 system of supremacy 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 people in
America 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:
So,
on the one hand, Malcolm helped internationalize our struggle
and on the other, he linked it up to the mass struggle
and issues that faced our people in America. By taking
this approach, Malcolm was able to provide a basis for
the continued historical efforts to build worldwide African
unity.
BlackCommentator.com Columnist, Conrad W. Worrill,
PhD, is the National Chairman Emeritus of the National
Black United Front (NBUF).
Click here to contact Dr. Worrill.
