Prophet of Respect: Why Malcolm X Still Matters 50 Years After His Assassination
„Peace be with you,“ were his finals words as he spoke to a large audience exactly 50 years ago. Then, all of a sudden, several
Prophet of Respect: Why Malcolm X Still Matters 50 Years After His Assassination
„Peace be with you,“ were his finals words as he spoke to a large audience exactly 50 years ago. Then, all of a sudden, several men jumped up from the crowd in Harlem, pulled out their guns and shot him to death. The assassins aim was to silence the man, his words, his oratory and his influence. The succeeded in killing the man but failed to silence him. Malcolm X is arguably more popular today than he was 50 years ago — worldwide!
Malcolm X, the icon
You can see or hear or read about Malcolm X these days from a seemingly unlimited supply of sources. On YouTube there is even a Malcolm X Network with high viewer rates, where a rich collection of his appearances can be seen. Watching them, one usually sees an angry man with glasses speaking in front of big crowds, often in scratchy black and white film footage.
For anyone who digs a bit into black culture, it doesn’t take long to stumble upon the name of Malcolm X. You can be looking at contemporaries including Hip-Hop, Rap, or Kwanzaa, or also at people like Beyoncé or Barack Obama and come across references or connections to Malcolm X. Even with echoes of the past like Muhammad Ali, Harry Belafonte, Sidney-Poitier-movies or old-school funk and soul music; everything seems to trace back to Malcolm X. And this ubiquitous black furthers the impression of Malcolm X as an immortal.
Anyone who wants to better understand contemporary black culture needs to take a closer look at Malcolm X.
Malcolm X, the key to black culture
Who was this man who is so influential to this day? Who was this man who never held any public office, who came out of nowhere from the Midwest? Who was this man who had no formal education and made some incredible mistakes in his life that caused him to spend long years in prison? Who was this man who gave