Brother Malcolm

Malcolm X, Harlem’s “bright shining prince” in the words of Ossie Davis was an uncompromising, firebrand black nationalist who still fires the imagination of Afro America and oppressed people around the world. Controversial in his own life, but now widely revered as an icon of the African American Awakening of the 1960s, Malcolm X still frightens many whites in contrast to Martin Luther King, yet the contrast has always been a false one. Both leaders towards the end of their lives were moving in the same direction, a radical critique of American capitalism and imperialism that transcended race, and prompted them to go beyond and embrace issues of human rights and economic justice.

In this clip, Malcolm X explains the concept of black nationalism, placing it within the context of the emerging liberation struggles of the Third World:

Here, Malcolm X frames the problems of African Americans as a global human rights issue:

In December 1964, he spoke to Oxford University to thunderous applause. All of these clips document the extent of Malcolm’s emerging global influence:

Spike Lee put together two key collages to bookend his film on Malcolm X. The first encompasses Malcolm’s best known and most fiery speech, while the end includes Ossie Davis’ moving eulogy at Malcolm X’s funeral (clip begins with Malcolm’s assassination scene):

More on Malcolm X’s legacy and works can be found here.