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Since
the untimely transition 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 that 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 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 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:
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- Malcolm X was a concrete example that if you discipline yourself and find a new outlook on life you can transform your behavior.
- From 1952 - 1963, Malcolm X helped the Honorable Elijah Muhammad build the Nation of Islam into a powerful force.
- During this same period, Malcolm became the spokesman for the Honorable
Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, and thus, became a spokesman
for the Black Nationalist Movement in one of the most important periods
in our history— the period of the mid 1950s through the 1960s.
- In this role, Malcolm articulated many important concepts and ideas
that helped strengthen the Black Nationalist Movement in this country,
as well as, the Civil Rights Movement. His speech, “The Ballot or the
Bullet,” still rings in our ears. His conception of the role of “House
Negroes” vs. “Field Negroes” is still with us today. And his coining he
phrase, “By Any Means Necessary” are just a few of the ideas and
concepts that concretely impacted the Black movement.
- Malcolm X defined Black Nationalism in simple terminology that appealed
to the Black masses when he said, “the political philosophy of Black
nationalism is that Blacks should control the politics and politicians
in our own community... The economic philosophy of Black Nationalism
must be designed to re–educate our community to the importance of
controlling the economy in which we live by owning and operating the
businesses. The social philosophy of Black nationalism is we must
become socially mature enough to realize the responsibility on us to
elevate the conditions and standards of our community to a higher
level.
- Malcolm X linked the Black struggle in this country with the struggle of African people around the world.
- Malcolm helped shape Black peoples pride in themselves and by so doing,
he exposed, by teaching that the greatest crime of white people was
they taught us to hate ourselves. It was Malcolm’s spirit that
generated the Black Pride, Black Studies, and Black Power phases of our
movement.
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So,
on the one hand, Malcolm helped internationalize our struggle and on
the other hand, 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.
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BlackCommentator.com Columnist, Conrad W. Worrill, PhD, is the National Chairman Emeritus of the National Black United Front (NBUF). Contact Dr. Worrill and BC
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 is published every Thursday |
Executive Editor:
David A. Love, JD |
Managing Editor:
Nancy Littlefield, MBA |
Publisher:
Peter Gamble |
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