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Black History Month Means Nothing Without Malcolm X

The 50th anniversary of the tragic assassination of Malcolm X didn’t grab much mainstream attention, or any at all. Malcolm X, a figure considered to be (as Manning Marable put it) “the most remarkable historical figure produced by black America in the 20th century,” was barely mentioned during the one month a year we commemorate black leaders: Black History Month. That’s sad, because Malcolm’s message of unity, justice, outrage, change, courage, and identity would awaken today’s dormant society. How unfortunate it is that fifty years later, while we seem to look back on with regret the immoralities of Jim Crow, Apartheid, and Vietnam, we put on our 21st century blinders when talking about mass incarceration, global warming, American intervention, etc. One thing is certain: if Malcolm X were 30 years old in 2015, he would be pointing his finger at these injustices, as he did so many times before. 

Malcolm’s vision, along with his constant tuning of strategy and belief, leadership, and humanity would fulfill the desperation of many looking for a cause today. His focus, then, was primarily the advancement and freedom of the black man in America, but his greater critique of modern globalization, racism, media bias, and power structures resonates for all of us, today more than ever. His speeches targeted the most powerful country for its hypocrisy and abuse, as well as its racist practices against blacks. Furthermore, the message wasn’t a hope or a prayer, but rather unavoidable strikes to the heart of the problem, as only a close friend can deliver. His goal? Withhold no punches until truth and liberty stand alone. 

The way Malcolm X connected the dots, both in the structural causes of racism and injustice and in his own self, spoke to and inspired an audience that continued to grow. His cause sparked indignation among a whole generation of young students in urban America to embrace “Black Power.” The Vietnam War’s historically large anti-war sentiment only means something when we recognize that Malcolm was the first leading voice to oppose it (before MLK, or anyone else idolized today). He also took on the media’s portrayal of the civil war in the Congo after the assassination of Patrice Lamumba by mercenaries backed by Western powers; it outraged him, and he would never forgive the media climbing in bed with the government. Malcolm’s goal of going before the United Nations with the support of newly independent African Nations for crimes against humanity exemplifies how he connected the symptoms of similar victims to colonialism: a disease that plagued so many peoples. 

Today, as then, Malcolm X-type people are portrayed as extreme, loud, and dangerous because they stand as a barrier to the perpetuation of subordination and status quo. As Malcolm so eloquently put it at The Oxford Union, quoting Shakespeare: “Whether it was nobler, in the mind of man, to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, moderation, or to take up arms against the sea of troubles and, by opposing them. And I go for that, If you take up arms, you’ll end it, if you wait for the ones in power to make up his mind, you’ll be waiting a long time.” 

The crisis of today is global and even more imminent. And as Malcolm said, we cannot wait any longer for the ruling class that is now more isolated to voluntarily reform itself. Moreover, people today are more easily suppressed by subversive and psychological means. The mind-games of the media are more sophisticated at propagating and marginalizing on behalf of those who pull the strings. The realities are rooted in many of the same causes that plagued Malcolm’s day, and our failure to recognize and comprehend his outrage won’t stop the bleeding. 

Most importantly, Black History Month, and other days we are supposed to dedicate to nationally acclaimed causes, aren’t meant to play back Martin Luther King speeches, among others, or to glorify the progress that has been made. King’s eldest son, Martin Luther King III, emphasized this point on the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, “don’t idolize my father, embrace his ideals.” It’s about calling a spade a spade, no matter what the situation may be.  


The truth can change the course of what is to come, allowing for a society to overcome rather than just forget. I’m sure Malcolm X would approve of that, and if we kept his voice alive, it would be a start!
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