May 19th was the one-hundreth anniversary of the birth of The Eminent Prophet Omowale Malcolm X and represents the first stage in this ‘Triple Centenary’ year that also encompasses Patrice Lumumba and Franz Fanon. The day was marked by celebrations around the world featuring an array of establishment and grassroots figures. (1)
Baba Omowale was cut down by assassins’ bullets sixty years ago while preparing to outline the programme of the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU), the latest phase of his evolving revolutionary trajectory. But physical death has been unable to extinguish his capacity to inspire generations of activists ever since, which isn’t to say that there hasn’t been attempts to confine his legacy into some ideological straight-jacket such as spiritual Muslim, political careerist or all-embracing leftist internationalist. (2)
The first of these would seek to divest “our living Black Manhood” of all racial awareness in the service of religious brotherhood. The second dares to suggest that his “vision lives on” in the likes of Barack Obama, and presumably other Afrikan occupants of high office. We do have generations of elected officials (in addition to Obama) to test this theory with and Malcolm’s “Ballot Or The Bullet” message to measure it against. (3) The latter of these persuasions has been persistent in its aggressive attempts to co-opt his legacy by severing him from antecedents like Marcus Mosiah Garvey, whom they dismiss as proponents of “petit-bourgeois nationalism” and also from his political descendants like “cultural nationalists” that they suggest “is a justification for retreat from struggle.” Instead, they argue that his ideological endowment to the world was an “understanding of the need for multi-racial unity, and the pivotal role of working people to achieve basic change.” (4)
This perspective flies in the face of Omowale Malcolm X’s words and deeds in the final phase of his physical life. He declared himself a “Black Nationalist freedom fighter,” aligning himself to Marcus Garvey’s Pan-Afrikan vision. (5)
There is now an emerging tendency that actually does not seek co-opt his legacy, rather diminish or even extinguish it – welcome to the world of ADOS and FBA (American Descendants of Slavery and Foundational Black Americans). Purportedly coalescing around the reparations campaign, these ‘lineage movements’ are vehemently (and somewhat ironically) opposed to Afrikan immigration (i.e. from the Motherland, Caribbean, etc.) to the USA and the descendents therof that they dismiss as ‘tethers’. As such they decry the impact and legacies of the likes of Jamaican Marcus Garvey, Trinidadian Kwame Ture and Malcolm X of Grenadian heritage. (6) resolutely opposed to Pan-Afrikanism, critics characterise them as representing a Black veneer on the American exceptionalism narrative. (7)
Such sentiments not only put them at odds with the avowed position of Omowale Malcolm X and the OAAU but also with a resurgent global affirmation of Pan-Afrikanism, inspired by, but not restricted to Burkina Faso leader Captain Ibrahim Traore and the Alliance of Sahel States, particularly in response to the head of AFRICOM Michael Langley, who presumably would be classified as ADOS or FBA. (8)
Omowale Malcolm X called for a “cultural revolution” founded on the principles of “Self-determination, National unity, Restoration (of communications with Africa), Reorientation, Education, Economic security and Self-defense,” making him a “ pan-African star” across the world. (9) In contrast ADOS/FBA seem to represent a rejection of all this while making ubiquitous demands for “tangibles” and for the powers that be to “cut the check” though it remains unclear how these will be brought about. The irony is that fullsome implementation of the OAAU programme could lead to just that.
(1) Sankofa Video & Books (19/05/25) 100th birthday of Malcolm X—Presentations and discussion with A. Peter Bailey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2AwkEzI0Z4&t=4379s;
The Shabazz Center (20/05/25) The 100th Birthday Celebration of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, Malcolm X. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awCkCoU_KmE&t=1961s; Kimbunga Media (25/05/25) Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka • Omowale Malcolm X Centenary Grand Celebration. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc0_ykOHVVc&t=2s
(2) See 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.
(3) Ta-Nehisi Coates (2011) The Legacy of Malcolm X: Why his vision lives on in Barack Obama. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/05/the-legacy-of-malcolm-x/308438/; Omowale Malcolm X (12/04/64) The Ballot or the Bullet. http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/blackspeech/mx.html
(4) Anthony Monteiro (19/05/20) The revolutionary legacy of Malcolm X. https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/the-revolutionary-legacy-of-malcolm-x/
(5) Omowale Malcolm X (12/04/64) The Ballot or the Bullet. http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/blackspeech/mx.html
(6) Jacqueline Luqman (26/03/25) It Is Time To Reckon With The Reactionary Rantings of ADOS/FBA. https://www.blackagendareport.com/it-time-reckon-reactionary-rantings-adosfba; Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor (02/01/20) Understanding ADOS: The Movement to Hijack Black Identity and Weaken Black Unity in America. https://ibw21.org/commentary/understanding-ados-movement-hijack-black-identity-weaken-black-unity/; Bryan 18X Crawford (27/05/19) ADOS Its origins, troublesome ties and fears it’s dividing Black folk in the fight for reparations. https://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/ADOS-Its-origins-troublesome-ties-and-fears-it-s-dividing-Black-folk-in-the-fight-for-reparations.shtml
(7) Onyesonwu Chatoyer (27/02/20) ADOS and American Exceptionalism in Africans. https://hoodcommunist.org/2020/02/27/ados-and-american-exceptionalism-in-africans/
(8) African News Network (02/05/25) AFRICOM’s-Accusations-Ignite-Pan-African-Unity-as-Support-for-Traoré-Surges-Worldwide. https://africannewsnetwork.org/news/AFRICOM%E2%80%99s-Accusations-Ignite-Pan-African-Unity-as-Support-for-Traor%C3%A9-Surges-Worldwide
(9) Kehinde Yusuf (01/06/25) Malcolm X and Africa. https://thenationonlineng.net/malcolm-x-and-africa/
We ask the question:
What does 100 years of Malcolm X mean to you?
1) Why does Malcolm X appeal to so many constituencies?
2) Are all of them his legitimate heirs?
3) Does ADOS/FBA squander his legacy?
4) What lessons should we take from the life of Malcolm X?
Our Special Guests:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and an Afrikan-Centred Education Consultant. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 40 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.
Baba A. Peter Bailey: was a member of the OAAU under Omowale Malcolm X and was editior of its newsletter. He taught as an adjunct professor at three universities, an associate editor of Ebony, and a president of the New York Association of Black Journalists. He has written for numerous publications including Jet, Essence, Black Enterprise, Newsweek, The New York Times and the New York Daily News. Baba Bailey is the author of the memoir Witnessing Brother Malcolm: The Master Teacher and Brother Malcolm X’s Strategic Pan Africanism.
Baba Zak A Kondo: is a Professor of History at Baltimore City Community College where he has been for eighteen years. Before this Baba Zak spent fifteen years at Bowie State University in Maryland where he was the youngest full-time faculty member in its history. While there he founded and co-ordinated the Pan-Afrikan studies programme and was the recipient of numerous teaching awards. He has spent more than thirty-one years teaching history and Black Studies at the college level. Baba Zak is the author of Conspiracys: Unravelling the Assassination of Malcolm X, one of the most authoritative books on the subject and he currently working on the second edition. He is also the author of The Black Student’s Guide to Positive Education and For Homeboys: A Brother to Brother Monologue and was a contributor to A Lie Of Reinvention: Correcting Manning Marable’s Malcolm X.
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