Rarely do I feel compelled to take to social media to express any of the complicated thoughts or opinions that dwell within me, however on February 21st, 1965 over 50 years ago, a person whom Ossie Davis referred to as a “Giant in a sick world” was forever silenced. It was around this time in 1965 that the world mourned an extraordinary human who was ruthlessly eradicated in the name of preservation. The ever present, unrelenting, overarching preservation of an unrealistic reality designed to ensure the easy route for all that it serves to conveniently, neatly keep all of the lies, fear and prisons in place…I guess I feel compelled to speak about this through these channels because of the horrific lies and downplaying of this remarkable story, that to this day continues. There is no Malcolm X day! No adequate national recognition of this fearless black leader.
Dr. King(whom I respect a great deal as well) was an easier story to tell(which would be a whole other essay). Brother Malcolm’s story is too frightening because it is too truthful and does not support the lie, therefore it is just too painful to grasp and make amends with.
I wish to rewrite this story from my perspective, to explain to anyone who will read, what this person’s life and story has meant to me. My version of this remarkable story is that of an empath, a true healer, a prolific bridge builder…a person filled with so much passion and vigor for life, that it would ultimately bubble over, spill out and absolutely die violently and tragically…as is the downfall of most people with such passion, wisdom and insight…
You have never seen in your life a world leader who was that committed to the daily effort it takes to keep integrity, honor and loyalty intact. I mean, he really meant what he preached, truly believed in a cause that he knew was much bigger than himself and was absolutely willing to die for it. Brother Malcolm really wanted his life to have contributed to a better, safer society for all. He mentions this consistently throughout his autobiography.
His devotion to his wife (much respect to Betty Shabazz and Coretta Scott King), and children is simply uncanny, rarely have I seen that! He truly wanted to give his love and loyalty to someone or something and that just so happened to be through Elijah Muhammad. He lamented over and over in his autobiography about turning a young white woman away who wanted to help. He was very heartbroken and ashamed with himself over that incident, a true empath!!
This is a story of a person so filled with (com)passion, love, honor, integrity that you will probably never see again in the public eye. A man who was not driven by money or the power that comes with it, in fact he died broke, gave all of his money away to the cause he so adamantly believed in, was effortlessly eager to step out of the way and give the spotlight back to this cause he so vehemently fought for…
I tell you rarely am I moved by much in this people life. I am also not one to make gods of imperfect flesh beings and that is not what this is, he had deeply misogynistic views as the majority of (cis)men do, but he was also very open about admitting and acknowledging, as he put it his “shortcomings.” I ask you, how many people today are even willing to acknowledge when they are wrong, yet alone face it and take responsibility for the hurt they cause?
I just wish to tell someone what this person’s story meant to me. I have read the books, watched the movies, the speeches anything I could get my hands on that pertained to the story of Malcolm X for over a decade. It is very hard for me to feel connected or close to anyone or anything in what I view as an artificial, plastic people life, however, I feel Malcolm’s story has been so twisted and turned in all types of demonic directions because of what I know personally to be true in my absurdly long 38 years on this earth, is that this society is designed to spot the rebel and immediately assassinate them, I mean that could be mentally or physically. Anything that makes you think, that makes you uneasy and question your reality will be annihilated to forever preserve the false illusions that keeps us in a blind comfort, particularly for those in power, and particularly for those who have everything to benefit from murdering the truth. We want everything to be easily explained and will work around the clock to ensure nothing and no-one interferes with the stories we have told ourselves to keep it all in place.
Every so often this people world is gifted with a such incredible rare gem, over and over they are assassinated, degraded, scapegoated, dehumanized, as well as, relentlessly posed as the problem. Brother Malcom’s raw, unfiltered truth telling would ultimately always lead to his demise, but I tell you this!, this man never promoted or caused any type of violence only advocated for protecting oneself from an inherently brutal system that was designed to destroy those deemed unworthy. Meanwhile, J, Edgar Hoovers’ FBI and the CIA alike, were instructed to plant seeds of jealously and hate within Dr. Kings and Malcom’s organizations, sent letters to Dr. King encouraging him to kill himself, murdered countless numbers of international leaders that fought colonization, eliminated anyone who attempted to promote fairness and equality for all beings, and the list of atrocities goes on…
After Malcolm was disavowed from the NOI and went to Mecca he began to think for himself, and that is when he(and Dr. King) became the most dangerous. A person that open-minded and filled with that much love will never survive. I, myself will be astonished to make it to my 50’s. I wish I could be half as brave as Brother Malcolm, I wish I knew such a sense of self and place as Brother Malcolm…
I feel the best way I can honor Brother Malcolm is by invoking his strength and courage to attempt to tell my story through his… Not only does his story inspire me and help me to feel not alone, but his words breathe life back into me when I so desperately need it. I have benefited immensely from people who were brave enough to give themselves to a world that did not always welcome them, but so desperately needed them…I AM MALCOLM X
There will always be the truth tellers, the deeply passionate trying to appeal to the dead, those who care so deeply and want so much better for us all and this is also my tribute to them…
“So put your hands together for Sally
She’s the one who cared for them
She’s doing our dirty work
She’s the only one who cares
Doing our dirty work”. -Sade
