A Message to The Sons and Daughters of Malcolm X
BLACK Food Bookstore & Culture Shop is commemorating 100 years of Malcolm X with a free film screening on Monday, May 19th at 6:30 pm at its retail store.
Malcolm X, directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington, will be shown followed by a community discussion.
In regards to the film, in my humble opinion, Mr. Washington should have won an Oscar and the film itself still remains a model for biographical cinematic adaptation.
That aside, Brother Malcolm X was born on the 19th of May of 1925. He was a black revolutionary nationalist leader who was one of the most prominent and powerful figures in the Black Power Movement of the 1960s and he had a tremendous impact on the struggle for true freedom and democracy worldwide.
He died at the age of 39. His life was brutally cut short when he was assassinated by reactionary forces on the 21st of February 1965.
On Monday May 19th we'll be showing the film and persons in attendance can make comments or ask questions.
What follows is three reasons, amongst many others, why we believe it's important to keep Brother Malcolm X's memory and fire burning.
1. Malcolm X was beautiful. He was a true living embodiment of the demand and declaration that Black is Beautiful. Under this predatory social system, which is called capitalism, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the problem with that is - the ones at the top - the ruling class - is always the only one doing the holding. The ruling class gets to define what is beauty and who is beautiful. They also get to define who our leaders should be and from where they should come from. Under capitalism, anyone who doesn't fit neatly into some narrowly defined capitalist box is quickly discarded away with.
Malcolm X represented our beauty. Our dormant but potent transformative power to take control of our own destiny as a people. He represented our potential for real change on our own real basis.
Malcolm X went from being a bright young student, to an incarcerated youth, to a world statesman. He represented that belief that, we can do it. That we can do anything we want to do. That we have the potential within us to create and define a new world based on our own interests. That within our history as a people we have done great things, and that we still have it deep within us to do it again. And again and again if need be.
Like Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X inspired our people with revolutionary optimism. He gave us hope and he helped us to believe in ourselves. He helped us to see our responsibility and our common mission to make our communities and the world a better place.
2. Malcolm X symbolizes courage. To stand up for justice anywhere in this capitalist world is extremely difficult. And to stand up for justice inside the belly of U. S. imperialism, and to unite in solidarity with forces who are also standing up against the imperialist aggressive nature of capitalism, is extremely difficult, and extremely dangerous.
Malcolm X represented that righteous leadership that knew it was on the right side of history and he was always willing to stand up for the freedom of his people at all cost, even if that meant he had to directly challenge U. S. imperialism head on.
We remember Malcolm X for his fire. For his sharp, hard, and powerful analysis of the world. Malcolm X was Black Power. That means Black people speaking to Black people, but he also challenged us to reconsider our point of view and our place in the world. He helped us better understand who our real friends are and who are our real enemies, and what factors to consider when we're deciding what's in our best interest.
3. Malcolm X means the revolution must be completed. We have much unfinished business as a people in the Caribbean, in South America and in Africa. The world is full of unfinished business. Contradictions are everywhere. Malcolm X was connected to revolutionary leaders and groups throughout Africa and the developing world. He was right in the middle of the worldwide struggle for a new world and he was about building and consolidating black power in the interest of black people. He was not about consolidating our power in order to direct it in the favor of forces that are at work against our interests.
Brother Malcolm X was taken from us before he reached 40 years of age. The correct political line about his life should be drawn from within his life and his work. From within his struggle, which is within the overall struggle of black people as a whole.
Malcolm X means and symbolizes many things for many of us.
In 1965, in an interview with the "Young Socialist" Malcolm X was asked his opinion on the worldwide struggle going on now between capitalism and socialism.
Malcolm X said: "It is impossible for capitalism to survive, primarily because the system of capitalism needs some blood to suck. Capitalism used to be like an eagle, but now it's more like a vulture. It used to be strong enough to go and suck anybody's blood whether they were strong or not. But now it can only suck the blood of the helpless. As the nations of the world free themselves, then capitalism has less victims, less to suck, and it becomes weaker and weaker. Its only a matter of time in my opinion before it will collapse completely. "
Therefore, we remember Brother Malcolm X for his beauty, his courage and his passion.
Malcolm X was a real democrat in the truest sense of the word. He was a real freedom fighter.
At this moment, there is instability in the West and wars in the East, and there are looming threats that more wars may come.
And again, Africa and African people worldwide are right in the middle of it.
Malcolm X was definitive and unequivocal in his position. We need to reject this rotten parasitic social system, capitalism, and build a new social system, which is based on the collective interest and the collective power of black people all over the world.
The responsibility to complete the Black Revolution now rests with us, the sons and daughters of Malcolm X.
Forward to a Unified Socialist Africa!
Long live Malcolm X!
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Written By: Alex Morley
Alex Morley is a political activist, attorney and co-owner of Black Food Bookstore & Culture Shop