Reflections on Malcom X on his 86th Birthday!

Today is the 86th Birthday of the man who I always felt should have been my husband. It has now become a regular joke for new acquaintances and for close friends.  While of course, it an absurdist comment, since it would require time travel and absolute rechanging of history which is not very forseeable at the present time, it is rooted in a real feeling. I have an incredible respect for Malcom X and it would be my fortune to find a man who embodies his spirit. I am a fan of pre and post Mecca MalcomX and feel each made incredible contributions to American history and the black experience of the 20th Century. What I admire about him beside his incredible beauty, passionate speechmaking, intelligence, alpha male masculinity was his absolute dedication to the black race. Unlike many of our freedom fighters he was unwilling to waver his speech in the favor of reconciliation or financial advancement. He was never a poverty pimp, using the pain of his people to create a platform for his commercial success. He was clear about his purpose and vision of what were the necessary steps to a healing for the Afro- American people. The people I find the most compelling are not necessariy the individuals who were always virtuous, who have never known an ethical conflict. I am actually captured by the people who struggled through the mire to find a voice that shaped their humanity, understand the complexities of life and use thier pain to create a beautiful canvas to advance the future. This is what Malcom meant to me, he was an artist that used his own painful past, the treacherous history of our people on this land and created a weapon of spellbinding intelligence as a sword to fight through the pain. His physical accomplishments were not many, it was his words that help to shape and form soldiers who would continue the movement forward. His influence can be seen in Spike Lee, Sister Souljah, Chuck D/Public Enemy, Pres. Obama. (yes, him too), Melvin Peebles, Van Jones and many others. He was that salve after the burn of a racist comment, imagery or interaction, that you needed to let you know that your feelings are valid, you are strong and you can overcome this. A world took notice because of his words of honesty and burning truth and these speeches are as relevant today and they were over 40 years ago. To be honest, that is a double-edged sword.