Happy May 19th!
On this day, folks who have some stake in (pan) Afrikan/Black Liberation Struggle — myself included –often like to change our 
profile pics to Malcolm X/Malik Shabazz. I almost did that today, but decided not to because We rarely have fruitful discussions about Min. Malcolm (and many other icons of liberation struggle). Too often, We repeat the typical/cliché things that We’ve been taught, then half-heartedly challenge ourselves to “carry on the legacy” of an individual.
What is the legacy of Min. Shabazz and people like him? If you ask ten people, you’ll get ten different answers because during his participation in liberation struggle, he emphasized different things depending on where he was mentally and spiritually. Typically (in popular culture), he’s reduced to the image (and the “By Any Means Necessary” quote that goes along with it) i included in this note. I’m not going to posit any ideas about what his legacy is, because i’m still thinking about it.
However, i found a great mixtape by Osunlade (http://soundcloud.com/osunlade/malcolm-x-speaks) that gives a few ideas of who Min. Malcolm/Shabazz was. He uses some familar audio clips from the Minister’s speeches, as well as some not-so-familar ones. Behind them are house songs, some which may seem to compliment the overall message, others that contrast sharply with what We remember as Shabbaz’s main message. From that, We can give an interpretation Osunlade’s thoughts on the matter. Please check it out, scrutnize it, and share your thoughts.
Peace & Much Love
