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Fifty-two years ago this month, Omowale Malcolm X made the ultimate sacrifice by taking 16 bullets in a political assassination. The execution happened at Harlem’s Audubon Ballroom just as he was about to outline the programme of the newly formed Organisation of Afro-American Unity (OAAU). Many contend that no one like him has emerged on the has emerged political scene since.
Or maybe there has. So many different narratives have been advanced about Malcolm X it would be hard not to be confused. He has been cast as enlightened spiritual Muslim (1), leftist internationalist (2) or even “race-neutral.” integrationist (3).
However, perhaps the best way to discern Malcolm X is to identify his last (and planned) political pronouncements, after he had already implored to “keep our religion in the closet.” (4) The aforementioned programme he was about espouse at the time of his brutal execution included the following:
- “Offer to downtrodden Afro-American people courses of action that will conquer oppression, relieve suffering, and convert meaningless struggle into meaningful action.”
- “Launch a cultural revolution which will provide the means for restoring our identity…”
- “The Organization of Afro-American Unity welcomes all persons of African origin to come together and dedicate their ideas, skills, and lives to free our people from oppression.”
- “Branches of the Organization of Afro-American Unity may be established by people of African descent wherever they may be and whatever their ideology — as long as they be descendants of Africa and dedicated to our one goal: freedom from oppression.”
- “The exclusive ethnic quality of our unity is necessary for self-preservation.” (5)
In essence, the programme that the OAAU were offering was Race First (Black) Cultural Nationalism, running counter to the above proffered narratives. The key element to note that through his evolution from the Nation Of Islam to the OAAU, Omowale Malcolm X always spoke on a (grassroots) organisational platform, rather than as a celebrity, media figure or party Politician.
The eight years of the Obama presidency managed to stifle some critical examination to the extent that some scholars and activists started out as veritable cheerleaders for the USA’s 44th President (6) who famously said that we “don’t need strongmen.” (7)
Even though some of this support was later revised, Afrikans have been left at an ideological disadvantage. Newly elected Trump is considered a disaster, yet his slavery, genocide and warmongering were replete among his 44 predecessors. On the major issues of the day it has become difficult to find a cogent, articulate, accessible voice that speaks to the imperative of Afrikans identifying our interests and using this as basis for organising. Discussions too often veer towards the pursuit of non-existent “friends and allies,” failing to identify the true enemy (e.g. the “international community” in Zimbabwe), or dogmatic economic philosophies that have never been proven to work.
Baba Ossie Davis eulogised Omowale Malcolm X as a “brave, gallant young champion” (8) who straddled the international stage, who, though regarded as divisive by some he represented “the best in ourselves.” (9)
(1) Zameer Baber (10/05/96) From Malcolm X To El Hajj Malik El Shabazz – The Transformation of Malcolm X. https://www.unix-ag.uni-kl.de/~moritz/Archive/malcolmx/zameerbabermalcolmx.txt
(2) Sukant Chandan (2007) Sons of Malcolm. http://sonsofmalcolm.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-is-sons-of-malcolm.html
(3) Manning Marable (2011) Malcolm X: A Life Of Reinvention. Viking. p. 339
(4) Malcolm X (12/04/64) The Ballot or the Bullet. http://malcolmxfiles.blogspot.co.uk/p/malcolm-x-speeches_9918.html.
(5) Program of the Organization of Afro-American Unity Malcolm X, et al. (taken from the Malcolm X Museum). http://www.malcolm-x.org/docs/gen_oaau.htm.
(6) Jared A. Ball (29/09/13) The Barack Obama Debates Collection. https://imixwhatilike.org/2013/09/29/barackobamaconsidered/
(7) Barack Obama (11/07/09) Speech To The Ghanaian Parliament. http://businessinfocus.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/obama-speech-in-ghana-transcript-full.html
(8) Ossie Davis (27/02/65) Eulogy delivered at the funeral of Malcolm X. http://malcolmx.com/eulogy/
(9) Ibid.
So we ask the question:
Does the Black Community need a Malcolm X today?
1. With social media and a wealth of information at our fingertips do we need anyone to “speak for us”?
2. Does our current condition warrant having anyone “speak for us”?
3. Do you need to be a celebrity or media personality to have a voice?
4. What role do grassroots organisations have in articulation the aspirations of the people?
5. Were you aware of the programme of the OAAU?
6. Have we “moved on” since Malcolm X’s day?
Our very special guest:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK and national co-Chair of the interim National Afrikan People’s Parliament. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Guide To Excellence.
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