No American was ever born with a less apt name. Born Malcolm Little and later Malcolm X, the man's words blew away whatever stood against him. And much stood against him. Not least his circumstances. Not least poor choices. Time in prison. As we Americans so casually toss souls in the pit, we might consider what the fire of the depths brought forth from the man who went into prison as Malcolm Little and came out as Malcolm X. What destroys may also purify. What is pure and unalloyed resists all corruption. This is the story of Malcolm X.
Not enough can be said about a man who said it all.
Today marks the end of the month that culminates with the sad smudge that is the fortieth anniversary of the assassination of the man born Malcolm Little,who died as the sainted heretik El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, who was known most simply to many as X.
Today marks the end of Black History Month, a month noted without irony by an official administration of night. So our leaders in Washington celebrate one people as they would defile all.
It is a fallacy, a heresy, to say a history belongs to one people. While some may claim a history, a legacy as particularly their own (so history starts with the one as it must wait to be claimed for the many), the generous history of the great lights belongs to us all. The prophet known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, the man who tried to solve for The Problem as X belongs to us all. This year marks the fortieth anniversay of a man dead in his thirtyninth year. X in life has no more tomorrows, but in memory he claims forever.
So America lights his flame in this hour of anonymous, shadowed perdition. For all, X is as the actor Ossie Davis declared in his most beautiul funeral oration for the hero fallen but never forgotten, "He is Our Shining Prince." Whose future is lit by the shining smile of X, may we never forget that.
Those who live life with the light of love will in time vanquish those who with a hard hand offer only the force of death. Death, yield now again and admit our brother X.
MALCOLM X'S EULOGY
Eulogy delivered by Ossie Davis at the funeral of Malcolm X
Faith Temple Church Of God
February 27,1965
"Here - at this final hour, in this quiet place - Harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its brightest hopes -extinguished now, and gone from us forever. For Harlem is where he worked and where he struggled and fought - his home of homes, where his heart was, and where his people are - and it is, therefore, most fitting that we meet once again - in Harlem - to share these last moments with him. For Harlem has ever been gracious to those who have loved her, have fought her, and have defended her honor even to the death.
It is not in the memory of man that this beleaguered, unfortunate, but nonetheless proud community has found a braver, more gallant young champion than this Afro-American who lies before us - unconquered still. I say the word again, as he would want me to : Afro-American - Afro-American Malcolm, who was a master, was most meticulous in his use of words. Nobody knew better than he the power words have over minds of men. Malcolm had stopped being a 'Negro' years ago. It had become too small, too puny, too weak a word for him. Malcolm was bigger than that. Malcolm had become an Afro-American and he wanted - so desperately - that we, that all his people, would become Afro-Americans too.
There are those who will consider it their duty, as friends of the Negro people, to tell us to revile him, to flee, even from the presence of his memory, to save ourselves by writing him out of the history of our turbulent times. Many will ask what Harlem finds to honor in this stormy, controversial and bold young captain - and we will smile. Many will say turn away - away from this man, for he is not a man but a demon, a monster, a subverter and an enemy of the black man - and we will smile. They will say that he is of hate - a fanatic, a racist - who can only bring evil to the cause for which you struggle! And we will answer and say to them : Did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you ever touch him, or have him smile at you? Did you ever really listen to him? Did he ever do a mean thing? Was he ever himself associated with violence or any public disturbance? For if you did you would know him. And if you knew him you would know why we must honor him.
Malcolm was our manhood, our living, black manhood! This was his meaning to his people. And, in honoring him, we honor the best in ourselves. Last year, from Africa, he wrote these words to a friend: 'My journey', he says, 'is almost ended, and I have a much broader scope than when I started out, which I believe will add new life and dimension to our struggle for freedom and honor and dignity in the States. I am writing these things so that you will know for a fact the tremendous sympathy and support we have among the African States for our Human Rights struggle. The main thing is that we keep a United Front wherein our most valuable time and energy will not be wasted fighting each other.' However we may have differed with him - or with each other about him and his value as a man - let his going from us serve only to bring us together, now.
Consigning these mortal remains to earth, the common mother of all, secure in the knowledge that what we place in the ground is no more now a man - but a seed - which, after the winter of our discontent, will come forth again to meet us. And we will know him then for what he was and is - a Prince - our own black shining Prince! - who didn't hesitate to die, because he loved us so."
Original Photo credits came from a place most worthy of your next cyberjourney:
The Official Web Site of Malcolm X.
He was a superior man. Having no faith in any authority but the authority of the heart. His existence was beyond the power of words to define, terms may be used, but are none of them absolute. His natural and sufficient intuition of rightness with which he believed all men to be endowed and by which he beleived all men could discover their lives to be mindful of who they were. Well done Hellhound.
Posted by: Missouri Mule | February 28, 2005 at 07:32 AM