Malcolm X Day

In the spirit of the moment and for a true representation of African American history I think a Malcolm X day is past due.

Ayotunde

#MalcolmXDay

This question comes up in my life, and I felt like theres no better day to address it than today:

Why do you like Malcolm X so much? You have NO REASON to be so obsessed with him.

But I do. Even thought Im not black, why is it wrong to like a black figure head? Why is it looked down upon to have such a radical figure as a model. There are so many different aspects and facets to the man born as Malcolm Little that intrigue me. 

My fascination with him initially began because of his glasses. I was in High school & during US History Class, his picture came across my studies. I saw his iconic black rimmed glasses, and I remember saying that they looked so sick. So when time came for our end of the semester paper, I decided to read the Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley. Now I was definitely not an avid book reader in high school, but this is one of the very very very very few in my life that captured my attention enough to finish it out. His life just hit a string in my brain that made me fascinated, and I wanted to learn why a man had to go such extremes during his life, and how he was equally passionate about each different movement he was involved in. He went from being the Detroit Red to becoming a brother under Allah. A hustling, sweet talking, and dancing mad man somehow transitioned to becoming an advocate for Islam and the fair treatment of all human beings. 

Many people only see him for his rants against the white man and recognize him for his quote “by any means necessary.” While I see him as a person who was able to adapt and mold as he grew. People who are so steadfast in their ways ultimately get so caught up in their pursuance of their cause, instead of pursuing the evolution of their cause. 

But the major reason I hold him in such high regard, was his ability to speak to the public. The message he promoted may not be a cause that I personally identify with, but the way he was able to speak to the public is a talent and skill that I want more than anything. He moved crowds with his strong words, which were spotted with comedic remarks. He made his audiences feel a range of emotions all with one sentence. I study the way he speaks so that I can try to be a fraction of the orator that he was. Theres something to me about someone who can speak to the public while also making you feel like its private conversation at the same time. Like hes talking directly to you.

Malcolm X represents a man who was passionate about his cause and would go to “any means necessary” in order to effect change in his environment. And in this way, I feel we are similar because I too want to effect change in the environment around me and even the world. And I feel like I will be working my whole life in order to do it. So on this day, I wore all black in order to celebrate the life of Malcolm X and all that he has taught me. 

And I just don’t think its right to judge me for liking Malcolm X for these reasons. Too many people look at him through only one lens, which is usually equal rights and the end of the suppression of the White Man. After reading about him, and listening to his speeches, I get so many different things out of him instead of just his views on equal rights. I see his influence as a orator and his undying passion for the causes he believed in. And I too hope to apply these lessons to my own life.

And that is part of the reason why I bought similar glasses. It was not to be “cool” or a “trendy hipster”…….. (I die a little inside everytime someone says, “nice hipster glasses!”) I hope to constantly look at the world as a scholar, just as he did. To always look at the world as something I can learn from instead of becoming steadfast in my ways. To always continue learning.