I was a bit surprised that this day has pretty much passed by without any major mention of this being the 40th anniversary of the assasination of Malcolm X. After searching the Diaries, Comments, and Stories...
I found one reference today to this event in Pastordan's
Religious News Roundup for today (His diary slipped off the recommended page way too fast. Considering all the effort he puts into these diaries, please recommend it...).
I have to admit to being a bit ignorant of Malcolms history. I was only 8 years old when he was gunned down. My first brush with his teachings came when I was working for the New York State Library in the early eighties. Several of my co-workers were "5-Percenters" who spent much of their free time memorizing and quoting Malclom's words, and it was an enlightening experience for me.
Malcolms father was killed by white supremicists. His family's home was burned to the ground... These were his childhood memories.
After serving a prison term for buglary, he embraced the Nation of Isalm (NoI) and Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm eventually became disillusioned with Elijah over what he considered serious moral lapses. so he founded his own organization: Muslim Mosque, Inc.
After a Pilgrimage to Mecca, Malcolm had a revelation that folks from all over the world shared common beliefs and dreams.
He resigned from the NoI , but hard feelings lingered. He was struck down on this date 40 years ago, preaching a message of hope and reconciliation.
So, here's to Malcolm. May his soul rest in peace.
Malcolm X's official website
(Apologies if my search missed another diary on Malcolm. The search engine only brought up Pastordan's reference and someone's elses comment on Malcolm in the Middle.)