May 15, 2014
BH 440
The
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech is among the most
celebrated in the nation’s history, but as we celebrate the birthdate of
Malcolm X, we should also know that Malcolm too had a dream. He had a dream of justice
and self-determination for his people that was free of violence, with ideals and principles.
He dreamed of equal
access to education, tolerance, and consensus building, and above all, fairness
and impartiality.
Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 in Omaha,
Nebraska. In 1964 he changed his name to Al Hajj Malik El Shabazz, to signify his rejection of his “slave” name after
he visited the Holy City of Mecca.
Although Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. and Malcolm had different opinions on integration and
segregation, they initially struggled for the same objective. That goal was
peace, freedom and equal rights, particularly and specifically for black and other
oppressed people.
During the 60’s, Martin
Luther King Jr's approach using non-violence attracted more people to the civil
rights movement because Malcolm incorporated the richness of black history and
culture, while completely rejecting white society and their subjugation and
brutality.
Martin Luther King and Malcolm X existed at the
same time and perfectly symbolized, respectively, the arguments for peaceful
resistance and violent struggle as means for political change. King had urged
his followers to bestow Christian love on white racists who abused
them. Malcolm memorably asserted that blacks should seek any means necessary to achieve justice. At
one time in history this was a part of Malcolm’s
dream.
Arthur Lewin of BlackStudies.net simplified their
differences when he wrote “In truth, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and
Minister Malcolm X were not that different. They were fellow travelers on the
same road, the one headed toward fulfillment of the Dream America holds for all
that she’s the “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.”
Dr.
Kenneth R. Conklin reminds us that in the
1960s black people began saying "I'm black, and proud of it." But
that pride was more an aspiration than a reality. To create a sense of separate
identity and pride, black people began adopting African cultural customs,
Muslim religion, and newly-created holidays celebrating their African heritage.
The Nation of Islam religious group under inspiration from Malcolm X and Elijah
Muhammad began to demand the creation of a racially separatist independent
Nation of New Africa. But with increasing affluence and equality, most black
people followed the path of Martin Luther King toward full integration, and
began calling themselves African-Americans.
Malcolm
had many dreams as reflected in many of his quotes. He said ‘Despite my firm
convictions, I have always been a man who tries to face facts, and to accept
the reality of life as new experience and new knowledge unfolds. I have always
kept an open mind, a flexibility that must go hand in hand with every form of
the intelligent search for truth.’
Malcolm
did not trust the press. He said ‘The media's the
most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty
and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the
minds of the masses’. He told us that ‘power in defense of freedom is greater than
power in behalf of tyranny and oppression, because power, real power, comes
from our conviction which produces action, uncompromising action’. And let us
not forget some of his more profound words ‘If you're not ready to die for it,
put the word 'freedom' out of your vocabulary. If you don't stand for something
you will fall for anything’.
Yes, Minister Malcom had dreams. He had many dreams. He knew that people of color must unite with a single purpose
to attain freedom and peace, so he sought wisdom and knowledge through dreams, visions, fasting, and prayer.
Very few individuals are able to make such a
significant contribution to their communities that they can claim much credit
for its power and glory. Al
Hajj Malik El Shabazz did.
Happy Birthday
Brother Malcolm. Happy Birthday and may your legacy live on.
Please watch the Bernie Hayes TV program Saturday Night at
10pm and Friday Morning at 9 am and Sunday Evenings at 5:30 pm on KNLC-TV Ch.
24, and follow me on Twitter: @berhay and view my Blog @ http://berniehayesunderstands.blogspot.com/
Be Ever Wonderful!
Hotep!
Dr. Kenneth R. Conklin reminds us that in the 1960s black people began saying "I'm black, and proud of it."
ReplyDeleteWho is this Kenneth R Conklin you are talking about? What is his bio? Where is he from? What does he look like please?