41.5 F
Indianapolis
Friday, March 29, 2024

Legacy of Malcolm X ignored by millions, including namesakes

More by this author

Is it just me or does less attention seem to be shown toward the life and legacy of Malcolm X?

Regardless of one’s political views or even their opinion of Malcolm, his actions and activism have left an indelible mark on the history of America and that fact should never be ignored or erased from the history books.

Feb. 21 marked the 50th anniversary of Malcolm’s death, yet most people would not have realized that simply because few people and even fewer media outlets talked about the occasion. Bothered by the lack of attention for the commemoration of Malcolm’s death, I decided to investigate to see what some entities that bore the Malcolm X name did in recognition of the slain advocate’s death.

The results were pitiful. Actually they were embarrassing and disrespectful.

Indiana’s own Wabash College has the Malcolm X Institute of Black Studies, initially dedicated in 1970 and rededicated in 2002; the institute “promotes educational, cultural, and social programs of concern to the citizens of Wabash College and Crawfordsville.”

I called the institute and asked if any events or recognitions were done to commemorate Malcolm’s death. The answer was “no.” While a lecture was given early in the week, the focus was on social justice and lots of the content was centered on the unrest in Ferguson, Mo.

I scoured the institute’s website as well as Wabash College’s site hoping to find something about Malcolm – at the least a picture with his birth year and birth date to pay homage, but there was nothing.

That is unfortunate.

But my investigative inquiries didn’t end there. Our neighboring state of Illinois has Malcolm X College, a two-year institution located on the Westside of Chicago. “Surely a college named after Malcolm would have something special planned to honor his legacy,” I thought to myself as I made my way through the directory looking for the appropriate person to answer my questions.

As was the case with the Malcolm X Institute, Malcolm X College did not do anything to commemorate the death of the school’s namesake. There wasn’t even an internal email sent out to faculty and students, nor was there mention of it anywhere on the school’s website. Certainly ironic since Malcolm X’s image is visible throughout the college as an ever-present reminder. There is something to be said about being blind to something staring you in the face. Even more insulting is the ad Malcolm X College, a division of City Colleges of Chicago has on its website promoting Black History Month. The ad has images of prominent people in Black history including Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglass and Marian Anderson.

The ad states, “City Colleges of Chicago. Black History Month. A Century of Black Life, History and Culture. February 2015.” Malcolm X’s image was not included on the ad promoting the school named after him, a woeful disregard to Malcolm.

If entities named after Malcolm aren’t paying homage to his legacy, how can we truly expect others to do the same?

Over the years Malcolm has continuously been compared to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. And many reference Malcolm as a rogue thug who was an extremist, while uplifting King as a saint of sorts. While I appreciate both men’s philosophical views, it is unfair to ignore the change of perspective Malcolm had later in his life. It is also imperative to examine the full person and their life’s circumstances which may foster a better understanding of their views relative to certain issues and topics.

Malcolm’s father was brutally killed and although his head was crushed on one side and almost severed from his body, officials ruled the death a suicide. Case managers pitted Malcolm and his siblings against one another, his mother had a nervous breakdown and never recovered, and Malcolm was placed in foster care at age 6. After eighth grade, Malcolm dropped out of school and began a life of crime, which eventually landed him in prison for six years. It was there he was exposed to the teachings of Elijah Muhammad and his life was forever changed.

To put things in context, at that time, Malcolm was relatively uneducated and perhaps a bit impressionable. When someone took an interest in him and showed him something that was more positive than the life he’d previously known, he gravitated toward that concept.

However, as Malcolm matured, began to think more independently, and visited Mecca, he realized thinking white people were devils was wrong and his views changed. He returned to America as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and while he was still committed to fighting discrimination of Blacks and was convinced that only we could truly free ourselves, he also shifted his focus to advocate for human rights in general.

Malcolm, or rather El-Hajj was morphing into a man with an increased moral compass that would have helped this country evolve at a more rapid rate.

We are all works in progress and this was true for Malcolm. He was a work in progress and I believe the best part of him was yet to be seen because of his savage assassins. Malcolm was known to say that he would be more important in death than in life.

We must honor his life’s work by not allowing his death to be in vain – this means giving him his rightful place in history by recognizing his contributions. Not just on the anniversary of his birth or even his death; but every day.

- Advertisement -
ads:

Upcoming Online Townhalls

- Advertisement -

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest local news.

Stay connected

1FansLike
1FollowersFollow
1FollowersFollow
1SubscribersSubscribe

Related articles

Popular articles

Español + Translate »
Skip to content