19 May 1925 - 21 February 1965
"I always had a deep affection for Malcolm and felt that he had a great ability to put his finger on the existence and the root of the problem. He was an eloquent spokesman for his point of view and no one can honestly doubt that Malcolm had a great concern for the problems we face as a race." Rev. Martin Luther King.
"I always had a deep affection for Malcolm and felt that he had a great ability to put his finger on the existence and the root of the problem. He was an eloquent spokesman for his point of view and no one can honestly doubt that Malcolm had a great concern for the problems we face as a race." Rev. Martin Luther King.
What a eulogy by Ozzie Davis. He and Ruby were courageous to attend the funeral. There were so many who stayed away because they were fearful for their lives. He was "our living black manhood" and now he belongs to that celestial pantheon of freedom fighters. I still have the album “Malcolm X The Ballot or the Bullet” and several wall images of him pointing out at the crowd. I remember the corner near Lewis Michaux’s bookstore (National Memorial African Bookstore) where Malcolm would speak. I used to live in that bookstore. The gentleman had a treasure chest of books on Africa and the African Diaspora and would spend endless hours lecturing on topics and recommending readings. He, too, loved Malcolm X. In fact I took it out of my collection and listened to it today. One other speech “Human Rights and Civil Rights” on that LP was the catalyst for broadening my concept of the civil rights movement to the global movement and recognizing all oppressed people.
ReplyDeleteI can’t help but wonder had he lived what would be his philosophy? Had Dr. King and Malcolm X lived...would they have eventually joined forces? Any takers on this….
collateral: I remember reading during that encounter (above image) or on another occasion that Malcolm told MLK that there was one thing they had in common. This was after MLK chastised him about his self-defense advocacy. "We are both dead men".
Carolyn, I believe they would have joined forces somewhere between 1938 and 1970. No doubt. El Hajj was on the path of understanding that our situation was a global problem that superceded race. By 1968 Rev. Dr. King was on the same path when recognized poverty as the main issue and not race alone. In that I am sure their paths would have converged.
ReplyDeleteSorry I meant to say 1968-1970
ReplyDelete@supremeultimate...My sentiments as well. On the anniversary of his death...I put a memoriam on my blog for him and linked it to one of his interviews after returning from the pilgrimage featured on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RDOYLltFFk&playnext=1&list=PL8762D97C1BEC07FF. Thus the transition and Dr. King was becoming a little more radical in his approach to human rights as well. They had to be stopped by the power elite at that time and they cleverly used zealots and dimwits to do it. I still to this day miss the essence of their convictions as well as many of the fierce women warriors, e.g., Fannie Lou Hammer, Ella Baker, Juanita Goggins, et al.
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