Last year I was walking in my university library where I caught sight of a book. It was small, black and a bit worn out. But the picture in front of the book was that of a man who consolidated my viewpoint of the world as well as my opinions of colonialism. The book was called the ‘Biography of Malcolm X’ and was not only a piece of historical literature but also a warning for the future, a warning which everybody has ignored.
Within this book he talks of his life from poverty and crime, how he faced the incredible prejudices of his day to become a highly respected and educated voice of the Black masses in the USA. He was a clear opposite to Martin Luther King, Malcolm X advocated separatism from the whites, and a violent force to make sure this happens. His insights into the plight of the black man of his time before and during the civil rights movement paints a stark picture of how detached the so-called ‘negro’ was from his true roots. The black people would go to severe lengths to become white whether it’s changing their hairstyle to changing the way that they dress. But one recurrent theme played through these experiences, no matter how hard the black man tried, he was never really free from oppressing poverty. He was stuck in a vicious cycle which had been created for him by the establishment where he was to be born poor, grow up uneducated, denied access to improve himself and hence not able to improve conditions for his family and successive generations.
Youtube has countless videos of Malcolm X and his speeches, I suggest that everyone should watch them. One particular video was perhaps the most damning conclusion of the state of the black man in the US. In this video Malcolm discusses the reason why he changed his surname to ‘X’. He concurs that his slave ancestors once arriving in the New World were given a slave name, a name which was not African at all. A name which cut off the link between that slave’s children and their history. It was a white European name, and for this reason upon his conversion to Islam he replaced it with ‘X’ to highlight that his history, his culture and his way of life has been stolen from him and his ancestors. This is the very reason which spurned Cassius Clay upon conversion to Islam to become Muhammed Ali. Muhammed was also a very good orator, his discussions of race and equality were indeed breathtaking.
So what is the state of the black man now? In the 21st century where we have a black president holding the most powerful seat in the world? Is he liberated of his past troubles? Has he become successful?
In short; in some ways, though the challenges are different.
You see, the hundreds of years worth of colonization and imperialism generated a system of wealth distribution so deeply ingrained throughout the world that it would take hundreds of years to outdo them. In all countries which have high percentages of black populations the only thing that has changed is the methods of oppression. Let us take Britain for example, the established Afro-Caribbean community constantly find themselves under scrutiny from the media and as a result a new set of challenges confront them in all aspects of society from education, housing and employment. In America I read a report where a major financial company has a QUOTA of how many black people it should employ. In South Africa, quotas are insisted in most sporting circles, THIS 20 YEARS AFTER READMISSION. I do not even remember watching the news and hearing about Black CEO’s or such people in high positions of power. Heck, even Barack Obama despite having Kenyan ancestry cannot really claim to having shared the same experiences of his Afro-American citizens (most of whom originate from Western Africa hundreds of years ago). In Africa itself the never ending problems of war, famine and poverty seem to provide a perfect mechanism for European powers ( in the form of multinationals) to exploit the land for minerals, resources and people until the soil is drenched in blood.
That’s not to undermine those people who have made huge strides in world affairs, there are countless individuals of black heritage who have done incredibly well from humble beginnings. But still, the main issue comes with responsibility of fortune. Comedian Chris Rock put it bluntly that Black people do not have wealth, but white people do…
What does this mean?
WEALTH is something which can be passed on from one generation to the next, which can be shared to benefit the community at large and uplift your brothers and sisters from from poverty. Being a rich man in singular terms means that your wealth is for you only, but it does not do anything for your community at large unless you use it wisely. This means that the black community in the US will never be a force to self govern or determine its own future.
In the days of Malcolm X most of these barriers to freedom were made and approved by the establishment. Nowadays the establishment has a different face and hence the barriers are also diverse. I think personally to attain a level of independence and freedom once must be self-sufficient enough to know the barriers but carry on regardless. One must never blame the situation around him for his current state but instead use it as a beginning to greater things. Malcolm X himself was nobody until he found an inner strength of conviction to educate himself in prison, to debate and to make a movement which inspired many.
For this isn’t a story of the freedom of the Black man, rather a story of freedom itself. The story of the Black people is the story of humanity, a rich poem of pride, honour and heritage. The Black man’s identity has been suppressed, stolen and ignored, but he will rise and remind everyone of his glorious past and golden future.
*Please note I am not an eminent historian, this post has been the conclusion of reading various books, articles as well as watching films, documentaries in my own spare time. If you have any problems with whatever I have written then I apologize and look forward to your criticism. Thanks.
Desi Blogger 