Regardless
of one's analysis of the Nation of Islam - then or now - the reality
is that it provided a stepping stone for numerous black men and women
who were caught in the abyss of dispair, and demonstrated a path
through which they could rebuild their lives and their integrity.
On
or around May 19th and February 21st, many Black activists reflect
upon the life and work of Malcolm X, with the former his birthday and
the latter the day that he was assassinated. In 2011 the publication
of the late Manning Marable’s biography Malcolm
X: A Life of Reinvention
had been a moment that many of us had hoped would be an opportunity
for a larger movement reflection on the life and work of Malcolm X.
Instead, a campaign of vilification of Marable ensued accompanied by
an almost canonization of Malcolm X by many critics of Marable,
neither helping us to get a better understanding of Malcolm’s
contributions. Unfortunately it became quite difficult to advance
constructive discussions regarding many of the issues raised in the
book.
It
has become increasingly difficult to engage in meaningful discussions
about the life and work of Malcolm X because there is a built-in
assumption in so many quarters that anything that suggests that there
was anything other than a linear progression in Malcolm X’s
development or that he may have engaged in any behavior that went
beyond what was contained in the Autobiography, is somehow a
challenge to Malcolm’s integrity. In that sense it should not
be surprising that attention to the life and work of Malcolm X goes
through fits and starts over time, not only because of what the
capitalist state wishes us to remember and forget, but because the
Malcolm X-image emerges as a saint-like figure becoming more distant
from the lives of today’s African Americans.
An
alternative approach toward Malcolm’s legacy would be for Black
radical activists to engage in discussions with younger activists
about how to emulate the best of Malcolm X. This certainly goes
beyond his courage, speaking style and a few sound-bites from his
oratory, as important as they may be. Instead it must be rooted in
an understanding of the transformation of Malcolm X, a process that
was linked to both organization and social movements.
Malcolm
X’s transformation cannot be understood outside of a
recognition that his adoption of a belief system and a commitment to
something larger than himself involved a dedication to the building
of organization. Regardless of one’s analysis of the Nation of
Islam - then or now - the reality is that it provided a stepping
stone for numerous black men and women who were caught in the abyss
of despair, and demonstrated a path through which they could rebuild
their lives and their integrity. It was within an organization -
first the Nation of Islam, and later Muslim Mosque, Inc. and the
Organization for Afro-American Unity - that Malcolm X became the
person we remember.
Yet
it did not end there. Emulating Malcolm X must also be based upon a
recognition that Malcolm X’s transformations - what Marable
calls ‘reinvention’ - continued as Malcolm moved outside
of the Nation of Islam. In the last year of his life Malcolm was
especially influenced by the anti-imperialist struggles in Africa and
other parts of the global South. In fact, Malcolm’s own
internationalism expanded exponentially as he saw in anti-imperialist
struggles a point of commonality with the African American struggle
for justice and liberation. It was this connection that Malcolm
sought to institutionalize through the Organization for Afro-American
Unity as well as through formal and informal relationships he worked
to build with revolutionary leaders in the global South.
This
May 19th it is incumbent upon Black radicals to promote the best
elements of the transformation of Malcolm. This includes an emphasis
not only on personal behavior but on the building of social justice
organizations that are actually engaged in struggle. Progressive, if
not radical, personal transformation is not an action taken in
isolation but instead is one that involves the individual in their
interaction with their environment. Building organization for
liberation, which was perhaps one of the most striking elements of
Malcolm X’s legacy, remains a central feature of actual
emulation.
I
have never been able to say “happy birthday” to or about
a dead person. Instead I would say that May 19th is an important day
on which we should remember the invaluable contributions of Malcolm
X. It is also a day to emphasize that emulating Malcolm X goes
beyond appearance, oratory or militancy: it is about building a
lasting struggle for liberation and justice and creating the
organizational vehicles through which we can pursue that course.
This
commentary was originally published by BC May 13, 2013
