海角大神

Malcolm X at 100: The love that love produced

Malcolm X is one of the most misunderstood activists in history. There are various examples of how perspectives on the icon can be downright ironic. One is a 1959 documentary titled 鈥淭he Hate That Hate Produced,鈥� which introduced the country to a form of Black nationalism promoted by the Nation of Islam. In many ways, the documentary contributed to how a significant number of people still see Malcolm X 鈥� as a violent and virulent racist.

Yet in the days leading up to his centennial, there is a singular word that perpetuates itself in this country and worldwide 鈥� love. It is a reminder that he was born May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Earl and Louise Little, and that his legacy lives through the people who love him the most.

鈥淧eople had the wrong idea of who Malcolm was, especially at his youth. What that does is it diminishes the importance of family and the importance of the village that鈥檚 needed to raise a child,鈥� says Ilyasah Shabazz, one of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz鈥檚 six daughters. 鈥淢alcolm鈥檚 parents did a great job, and that is the reason he was able to grow up and become Malcolm X.鈥�

According to Dr. Shabazz, Mrs. Little was a recording secretary for the Universal Negro Improvement Association, which was founded by political activist Marcus Garvey. Mr. Little was chapter president in Omaha.

Malcolm鈥檚 life would change dramatically after his father鈥檚 death in 1931. In 1939, after Louise and the Littles moved to Michigan, she was declared legally insane. Malcolm and his siblings were forced into foster care, and he eventually landed in Boston with his sister, Ella Collins.

Nevertheless, a diasporic love of Black people was passed down to Malcolm X. It wasn鈥檛 just a functional affection, but a fierce one. That affection has been reciprocated in recent days in places such as Boston and Washington, a series of declarations expressed the world over.

鈥淢alcolm would be proud of me鈥�

Near Malcolm鈥檚 and Ella鈥檚 home on Dale Street in Boston is a vibrant place named Frugal Bookstore, owned by a husband and wife. The topic of conversation on a recent afternoon is five dozen children鈥檚 books titled, 鈥淏etty Before X,鈥� a depiction of the early life of Malcolm鈥檚 wife.

Leonard Egerton, one of Frugal鈥檚 co-owners, gets off the phone. His expression changes from one of urgency to relief. 鈥淢alcolm would be proud of me,鈥� he says before letting out a sigh.

A customer plans to give away the books for Malcolm X鈥檚 birthday Monday and the order had gone awry. 鈥淟ike I said, Malcolm would be proud because I didn鈥檛 let [the supplier] walk over me and accept that, especially for his day,鈥� he says.

The tension is relieved when a beautiful almond-skinned child wearing a Boston Celtics hoodie walks into the bookstore with his mother. The two peruse the seemingly endless amount of children鈥檚 books before engaging in conversation with Mr. Egerton. Then Lisa Fischer鈥檚 鈥淎ll Around The World鈥� begins to play in the background.

Clarrissa Cropper, Mr. Egerton鈥檚 wife and Frugal鈥檚 co-owner, matches the young boy鈥檚 energy in song and dance, her two-step matching his waving and movement. 鈥淏een around the world, and I, I, I,鈥� the speaker blares.

This dance 鈥� and a quick glance around Frugal 鈥� shows its commitment to the Roxbury neighborhood. A flyer for a community read-a-thon of 鈥淭he Autobiography of Malcolm X鈥� May 17 and 18 greets people at the door. Malcolm X once said, 鈥淢y alma mater was books, a good library.鈥�

鈥淩oxbury doesn鈥檛 always get the props it deserves as far as the culture, the history and the people. ... We鈥檙e promoting literacy and community with book signings, story time, and events with our Ujima project. That鈥檚 community,鈥� Ms. Cropper says. 鈥淲e want to have a space for the community and share that space 鈥� to be a positive light in Roxbury.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 incredible to just be able to say that we鈥檙e in a location, a space, a part of the city where someone as great as Malcolm X walked these streets,鈥� Mr. Egerton says. 鈥淗is nephew comes to the store and buys books here.鈥�

鈥淟et鈥檚 take a walk around Harlem鈥�

A. Peter Bailey is the quintessential journalist, with a love for libraries and telling stories. He lights up at the sight of a silver Olympus digital voice recorder. His affinity for that shimmering piece of technology is profound: There is a tape recorder used by Malcolm X at Mosque #7 that is part of the at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington.

Mr. Bailey was born in Columbus, Georgia, in 1938. He spent the bulk of his childhood in Tuskegee, Alabama, before he graduated from high school in Germany, where his father was stationed in the military. He vividly remembers the first time he heard Malcolm X speak.

鈥淭he first time I heard him speak was in the summer of 1962,鈥� recalls Mr. Bailey. 鈥淚 had just moved to Harlem on a Friday. And then on Saturday, I told the friend who helped me move in, 鈥楲et鈥檚 take a walk around Harlem.鈥�

鈥淲e got down to 116th Street. ... They said Malcolm X was about to speak,鈥� Mr. Bailey adds. 鈥淏y the time he was finished, I was a Malcolmite.鈥�

Years later, Mr. Bailey was part of the organizational meeting for what would become the Organization of Afro-American Unity.

When Malcolm X founded the OAAU in 1964, he fulfilled the destiny of his conscientious parents. Mr. Bailey describes him as a 鈥淪ecretary of State for Black folks in America鈥� because he met with so many African presidents during the early to mid-1960s.

鈥淏rother Malcolm believed very strongly in the necessity of Black unity within the United States and Pan-Africanism. [He believed] for our very survival, that we develop a close relationship between people who are of African descent,鈥� Mr. Bailey says. 鈥淥ne of his goals was to take the United States government before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, and accuse it of being either unable or unwilling to protect the lives or property of Black people.鈥�

Before Malcolm X could further hold America to account on a world stage, however, he was assassinated. Mr. Bailey describes being in an 鈥渁lmost total depression鈥� after what happened at the Audubon Ballroom in New York on Feb. 21, 1965. But he and others found ways to honor the global icon. Mr. Bailey assisted with the publication of a collection of Malcolm鈥檚 words and speeches titled, 鈥淢alcolm X: The Man and His Times,鈥� by John Henrik Clarke, who also helped found the OAAU.

Mr. Bailey also founded a group that remembers more than Malcolm X鈥檚 birthday, but his words and actions, aptly named 鈥淧ositive Black Folks in Action.鈥� He wants people to remember his friend as a 鈥済reat human being, a master teacher, and also a great learner.鈥�

鈥淢y parents knew an essential truth鈥�

On Saturday, before her father鈥檚 centennial celebration, Dr. Shabazz reads aloud a children鈥檚 book 鈥� 鈥淢alcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X鈥� 鈥� at the African American History museum, which some call the 鈥淏lacksonian.鈥�

There are sweet reminders of Malcolm X鈥檚 influence here this weekend, from Dr. Shabazz鈥檚 presence, to Malcolm memorabilia, to a dessert in the Sweet Home Caf茅, which shares the nickname he gave his wife, 鈥淎pple Brown Betty.鈥�

But there鈥檚 a moment where the gravity of tragedy stops Dr. Shabazz鈥檚 words. It is a clearing of the throat, a lump that hasn鈥檛 gone away after 60 years. But love presses on.

鈥淕rowing up, my parents made sure my sisters and I were exposed to lessons that empowered us to love ourselves. ... We also learned about the contributions that the African diaspora made to the world as well, so we never relied on others to determine our self-worth,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y parents knew an essential truth. If I learn to love me, I can learn to love you. But if I don鈥檛 love [myself], I can never love you.鈥�

More than 20 years ago, Dr. Shabazz wrote a memoir titled 鈥淕rowing Up X.鈥� In many ways, the reading picked up where that conversation left off. She spoke glowingly of her mother鈥檚 resilience and mentorship. She also talked about the expectations placed on her because of her lineage, how people expected her to be a revolutionary.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 until I went to college that I realized. I was voted as the president of the Black Student Union. I called my oldest sister and asked, 鈥榃hat am I supposed to do?鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淢y sister was like, 鈥榊ou don鈥檛 have to pass a test to be Malcolm X鈥檚 daughter. You already are.鈥欌��

鈥淲hoever you are is good enough,鈥� Dr. Shabazz added. 鈥淚 share that story with my students so that even all of us understand in our moments of vulnerability and insecurity 鈥� that we are good just as we are.鈥�

Editor鈥檚 note: This article, originally published May 18, has been updated to include the photograph of Ilyasah聽Shabazz.