In Honor of a Great & Wise Man: Malcolm X (El Hajj Malik El-Shabaz)

"Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it."

I never learned about Malcolm X in school. His name was brought up once or twice, always followed by stern adjectives. If it were up to my free public education in Virginia, I would’ve always thought Malcom X to be a man who believed that coexistence was impossible. This portrayal of Brother Malcolm was of course followed (if ever even mentioned) by lessons on Martin Luther King Jr’s peaceful and loving legacy. The contrast was apparent. School taught me that Malcolm X was a villain while Martin Luther King was the only good guy.

It was only upon reading the autobiography of Malcolm X that I began to realize how cheated I was out of learning about an important figure in American history. Public schools withheld the legacy of a man who fought for equality, not just on a racial level, but on a religious level as well. Malcolm X’s conversion to Islam was the start of his journey to a more open and inclusive vision of humanity. Yes, he was a controversial figure as a result of his involvement in the Nation of Islam at first, but what many don’t know is that he left that close minded philosophy and became part of mainstream Islam; a religion that preaches equality across religious and racial lines.  

I don’t know the exact reasons why educators decided to undermine Malcolm X’s efforts in building a stronger and more tolerant American public, but I have a feeling it goes back to him being a Muslim man. At least that’s the reason administrators in a state like Virginia might base their decision off of. The fact that he was an influential Muslim man might scare some far right conservatives and speaking of his legacy might be viewed as “Muslim propaganda”.  Angry parents might call schools asking why teachers are “indoctrinating” their children. Instead of realizing that a figure such as Malcolm could bring together a nation that has marginalized a portion of its citizens (and by that I mean Muslims), it is instead decided upon to throw Malcolm’s legacy to the side.  

As an American Muslim, I would like to see students learn as much about Malcolm X as they learn about Martin Luther King Jr. Muslims have been, and still are, a part of American society. We contribute to it, live in it, pay taxes, but hardly get represented. Like Malcolm X, we are undermined and ignored. That is until a Muslim commits an act of terror. Then you can be rest assured the media will educate you enough on the matters of Muslims. Just keeping it real.

Peace and much love to y’all.