Malcolm X passes
47 years ago today Malcolm X (formerly Malcolm Little) was shot dead by members of the Nation of Islam, an organization he was once affiliated with. I believe many of his ideas (particularly his post-NoI work) are still relevant in today's world. Anyways I feel that he definitely deserves his spot in history, and should be closely examined if we are to come to an understanding of where we once were, where we are now, and where we want to be.
Last edited by TakMan; Feb 21, 2012 at 11:07.
what is his legacy and how is society better today because of him?
Actually his legacy is, unfortunately, not that great. This is one of the reasons that society is not better today. He was one of the great orators of the 1960's, and many of his advocacies (particularly that of collective self defence amongst the black communities) aided in the creation of Black Power organisations, most notably the Black Panther Party for self defence. You may not believe that the empowerment of a group of people who are systematically oppressed is a big deal; I would argue against it. There is a great deal of evidence that points to the improvement in social conditions within those black communities who organised under the principles of autonomy and self-defence (as advocated by the Black Power movement). We cannot, however, have a long term view of the effects of those ideas as the U.S government and the F.B.I made sure this concept would never gain momentum.
interesting, thanks. so what it is basically is that he created a gang and it didn't work out so it was blamed on the Government? I always wondered why he was such a brand name, but I'm not impressed really.
When you're right you're right quiggle. Slavery never happened. Segregation was a myth as was police brutality in African American neighborhoods; Lynching was unheard of and equal opportunities were inherent in the American DNA. The constitution never proclaimed that black people equated to 3/5 of a human being and people were always tried by a jury of their peers.What actually happened is that a group of uneducated, america bashing, black people took up arms for no reason and went on a rampage citing differences with the government as a reason. Their inspiration was Malcolm X. Another uneducated person who needed an excuse to justify thuggery.
If you're ever interested in material relating to that particular subject, let me know. Though it appears you already know most of it.
Actually Malcolm X was not know for his violent tendencies rather for what was perceived as inflammatory rhetoric (Though he was only really advocating self defence). There is also a lot of evidence to suggest that one of the reasons the establishment cosied up to MLK, was that they needed to appease the more reformist and peaceful elements of the Civil Rights movement, in order to avert members of that movement from joining the Black Power block. Also let's not forget that this was the time when the Vietnam conflict was escalating, and they needed to give African Americans the impression that they were addressing their issues, otherwise they ran the risk of low enrollment numbers from those communities. MLK kept his mouth shut for some time regarding the Vietnam war as he was hoping for reforms at home, and did not want to aggravate the U.S establishment, which could slow down or even reverse any progress made by the Civil Rights movement. Regardless, MLK himself had quite a few hypocritical tendencies, considering he also took pre-emptive measures for self defence on many occasions including the employment of armed bodyguards to attend rallies, his relationship with members of the Deacons for Self Defence, and the fact that he, himself at points owned guns which he kept in his home for defensive purposes, whilst also applying for a licence to carry a concealed weapon in public:
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Here's a brief preview but there are many more instances documented in books regarding the matter.
does this quote contradict itself though?
Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery
Not really. There is a difference between being peaceful and being passive. Being peaceful basically denotes your intention to go by life trying to create rather than destroy. This also demonstrates characteristics of courtesy, resepect and lawful behaviour. Self defence is lawful, it is respectful to yourself firstly, and in the instances racial abuse, to the entire community which is being targeted. It's just another moral code which draws a distinct line between one's social obligations and his/her individual rights.
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