43 years later, remembering Malcolm X

[Northland]

Some 43 years ago-actually on this date in 1965-Malcolm X was shot dead for speaking his truth. On this anniversary, I am curious as to how people today view the ideas which he presented.

 

[B_dumbcow]

I know very little about Malcolm X, I think he was a black power leader in the 1960s. Did he lead the nation of islam?

I will have to read about him as he is before my decade...

 

[Skull Mason]

Big fan here, I still choose my potential breeding mates based upon his mathematical half-your-age-plus-seven rule. I also think he speaks a great great deal of truth in his autobiography, unfortunately most people are too biased or racist or just flat out don't understand or know enough about him to accept or believe what he says.

 

[ZOS23xy]

Known as one of the angriest of black men, he was still going through the phases of growing up when he was shot.

Stories about of Louis Farrakhan being involved with the shooting, abound. There were inner party squabbles prior to the assassination. The truth and story will never be exactly know.

 

[playainda336]

The tragedy of Malcolm X is that everyone thinks he was just this angry Black man who didn't know when to shut up.

Malcolm X paved the way for Martin Luther King, really. And he made some good points.

 

[midlifebear]

I was fond of Malcom X. For me he was the original mold for the righteously angry, young, black man. His death was a major tragedy in American History.

However, we still have Angela Davis with whom to consult. The Machine wasn't efficient at wiping out all of the great young black minds of the 50's, 60',s and 70's; just most of them. I respect Louis Farrakhan as an organizer and leader, but his ideals tend to be reactive (not in the scientologist sense, good lord no!) but in the type of reactive reasoning addressed in Paulo Friere's Pedagogy of the Oppressed. However, I doubt anyone here as even heard of Paulo Friere or cares. And if they have, in the current political climate in the USA Malcom is probably summarily written off as a Marxist. However, Marxism aside, there a great deal to be learned from his life that rings true about bettering the human condition, which was one of Malcom X's main ideals.

 

[frizzle]

Don't know, don't care.

 

[Northland]

IHowever, we still have Angela Davis with whom to consult. The Machine wasn't efficient at wiping out all of the great young black minds of the 50's, 60',s and 70's; just most of them

Not to be forgotten, there's also Amiri Baraka (and I believe Joanne Chesimard is still floating around somewheres).



(And thanks for the reading selection of Pedagogy of the Oppressed-I was wondering what to read after Buddenbrooks (Thomas Mann) is done with)

 

[Lex]

When his entire life is examined, it makes for a fascinating study on the evolution that a person can make. He is one of the most intriguing people I have ever read about.

 

[Skull Mason]

Don't know, don't care.

so dont comment buddy

 

[B_Hickboy]

One of the most important, and helpful, human beings of the twentieth century.

 

[ZOS23xy]

Don't know, don't care.

Then why even bother to make any kind of commentary, kid?

 

[dreamer20]

Malcolm X paved the way for Martin Luther King, really. And he made some good points.

Actually they were contemporaries, each paving their own paths.:smile:

 

[playainda336]

EDIT: Did some research...I stand corrected.

I guess they were contemporaries...but Malcolm first started his push towards Civil Rights in 1952. Martin first in 1955...I think.

 

[frizzle]

Then why even bother to make any kind of commentary, kid?

I didn't know those were the rules.

 

[Big en]

Don't know, don't care.

Great example of how Great Britain is not so great anymore. Such a Chav Frazzle.

 

[Lex]

EDIT: Did some research...I stand corrected.

I guess they were contemporaries...but Malcolm first started his push towards Civil Rights in 1952. Martin first in 1955...I think.

The person who laid some of the groundwork for both of them was a man by the name of Vernon Johns.

 

[playainda336]

All the more reason Black History is necessary. I didn't even know who he was.

 

[Lex]

All the more reason Black History is necessary. I didn't even know who he was.

Yes. Vernon Johns tried to do many of the things that Dr, King was later successful at doing and his approach and attitude was somewhere between Malcolm's initial militancy and King's non-violent approach.

One of his quotes that I remember was "There are two choices for a Black Man in American today: Justifiable rage, or inevitable insanity."

It inspired some of the collegiate artwork.

 

[thoreau]

I recently wrote a paper about how Malcolm X was the archetype for the modern day Odysseus. A man on a journey, struggling to find his way home, to find his identity, and an understanding of the world.


His autobiography was one of the better books I've read in awhile.