February 22, 2003

Malcolm X, 5/19/25 - 2/21/65

When I was a young kid, in the 70s, my mother was good friends with Malcolm X's widow, Betty Shabazz. She was helping Betty write up her doctoral thesis, typing it up for her, so I spent a lot of time at Betty's house in Mount Vernon when I was little, sometimes being babysat by Malcolm's daughters(!). One of my earliest childhood memories is of sitting with them in their living room and watching Charlie's Angels. I can also remember looking up at a picture of Malcolm on the wall there, as my mom explained to me who he was, why Malcolm is a hero to her.

So Malcolm has always been a big part of my life, for as far back as I can remember, and I've always felt a very personal connection with him. He more than anyone provided the blueprint for my concepts of leadership, activism, and perhaps manhood..I admire him for so many things.. his courage, his intellectual ferocity, his power to be so concise and compelling with his words, carving his ideas into a dagger aimed straight at your head. But most of all it is Malcolm's willingness and ability to evolve that has been a constant source of inspiration.

His life was a neverending process of transforming/reinventing himself, from country boy Malcolm Little to big city hustler Detroit Red...then reborn as within the Nation of Islam as Malcolm X, and finally outgrowing the limitations of the NOI to become El Hajj Malik El Shabazz.. newly reborn once again, even in what became his final days.

Thus, Malcolm showed me that no matter where you are in life, its never too late to turn youself around, if you find the courage look inside yourself and see what needs to be changed, and the strength and determination to make it happen. And he showed me that a life well lived is a neverending journey down that path, there is never a finish line..

I had mixed feelings about Malcolm's resurgence into popular consciousness in the late 80s (thanks primarily to Public Enemy and the other rappers who followed their lead, though it culminated in Spike's film). But no doubt it was tremendously positive for him to be rediscovered that way, even if the process of rediscovery involved some homogenization and commodification.

Anyway just some random thoughts, wanted to take note of yesterday's anniversary.

Posted by jsmooth995 at February 22, 2003 10:20 PM
Comments

I tragically reminisce on the musical genre to which i experienced in my college years. Groups like Steel Pulse, Black Uhuru and others. Filled me with a souce of inspiration and self respect. From which I was thrust into a life of activism and political involvement. I remember a group aclled "Third World that made a song called "African Women" which praises Black women. Not like the music that's being played now which denigrates them. Where is the leadership that will challenge these artists who promote such negativity. How can a culture that has spawned men like John Coltrane, Duke Ellington and the Heath brothers. Relegate themselves to those who even assist in our destruction.

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I never have any comments to place on your site, as I don't know much about the topics you right in general. But anyway, I too admire this man greatly, I feel an inspiration on his quest for equality without pandering to the white world, and speaking of pride for one's people. I see such a lack of it in Hong Kong, the burden of the colonized... he is probably the only historical person I have anything in my home which I pay homage to. It's a small throw cushion, that has a print of him on it. I got it in harlem when i stayed there. It smells nice too! I see all these people in their che posters and t-shirts and I think it's gross to commercialize a communist, but also such a showy thing as well. I like my cushion, no one really notices it, and it means something to me.

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