I Have A Friend That Is Black...

His life is such a marvel to me. I have a picture on my wall (that's followed me for my last 4-5 residences) of him and MLK, because to me they together represent some of the most outstanding of black males who have walked the earth, for so many reasons.

Of Malcolm's story, I can say reading as a young man (in my late teens or early twenties - I was a partyer and some of memory about the time doesn't serve too well) I was most in awe of what seemed like the sheer adventurousness and marvelous drama (this perception would change) of his life. Trying to fit in as the only black at a white school, he was told early on by a teacher that "niggers don't do jobs like being a lawyer", even though he did well on his lessons and was very popular with the other kids. I felt a fierce kinship and was as if there with him when he turned to crime, and "conked" his reddish hair. I was totally absorbed in the danger inherent in the picture that was drawn of his life as he grew up in Nebraska and later moved to Boston, and was absorbed as I wondered how he would get out of the sorry situation he had inherited. His father was believed murdered for activism and his mom went crazy. He was separated from siblings and fostered out. By the time he got arrested, he was about the same age I was when I first read the book. I was uplifted and liberated inside by the way he transformed - that was supernatural to me.

At the second reading, I considered myself sort of militant. It was in the eighties and I lived an insular life, and my head was full of Gil Scott Heron lyrics and Angela Davis' writings. In other words, I feasted on everything I could about the oppressive white man, and I had a real poisonous attitude. If you think I get exercised about racial issues now, you would've thought I was a total nut back then (and in some aspects I definitely was). So I picked the book back up to do a more selective perusal this time. I was looking for anything to justify and validate my preconceived ideas about the true nature of life in America for a black man. The passages about the white man being a devil appealed to me then. Malcolms fiery oration and ascendance into the leadership of the Nation of Islam was fascinating to me. I guess back then I had a particularly strong need to hear of strong brothers who didn't take any crap.

By the time I read the book for the last time, I was more established as a person and had a much more well rounded view of my own roles and identity. I could view Malcolm's experience through the prism of real experience of my own. I think I was most moved this time by relating to his dealings with the power structure, and how his scary image affected the actual impact he was able to make. To this day I think often of the way his and Dr King's approaches to the same problems differed, and how those two different ways of looking at things are still relevant to life for a black man.

Thanks for asking. He was such a genuine human being to me- for some reason his struggles, even the last struggles with his conscience about the goodness he began to see in men of all hues and creeds, just made such a deep and lasting impression on me.

God read, snood. Helps me understand you better.

Thanks, snood; don't know you well, but a little better now.

Thanks, Snood. Nice post.

I have to admit to not knowing a whole lot about Malcolm X. I always had the feeling I preferred Kings approach, although I did understand the anger. I'll have to check out that book.

Alex Haley (Roots) wrote it in corroboration with Malcolm. Malcolm knew, or strongly sensed he'd never live to see it reach widespread distribution. That proved true.
Kinda strange how both he and King had premonitions of their deaths.

They both knew who they opposing.

Joe(and were not afraid)Nation

Both men were brave, convicted and self realized. They gave their lives in pursuit of those convictions and made permanent changes and produced permanent results for those around them. Positive results.
You can't do any better.

Snood
Snood, I knew so many Black men like you in Berkeley when the Black Panthers were a big influence and I was on the Board of Directors of the Berkeley (and greater Bay Area) Consumer Cooperatives. We had common goals to make the world a better place. I think we needed both Malcolm's and Martin's philosophy and methods of persuasion and communication. They complimented each other. Malcolm's evolution was more difficult than Martin's due to his start in life, which made the status he achieved even more important.

Another Black man I greatly admired was A. Philip Randolph, whom I got to know because of our common goals in the Labor Movement. His struggle was different because he not only had to confront racism in the country at large, he had to fight it within the Labor Movement itself. I understood him well because of my own efforts to confront the sexism and discrimination against women in society and in the Labor Movement.

Oh, the stories I think we could tell.

BBB

Before I finish reading your post, I wanted to ask you to consider this edit for future related comments--

they together represent some of the most outstanding men who have walked the earth, for so many reasons.

Snood, damn. Thanks for the post.

Well, now I have the yoga group of all people upset with me.

Evidently the yoga teacher was bombarded last Monday before she left. Yoga is 6:30-7:30 and Bridge is 7:30 - 9:30ish, so Bridge came in early and raised hell, got her all rawled up, etc. So, yoga teacher is calling me when I walk in this morning asking what's going on.

I told her it's a national holiday and I was trying to take the day off. She told me the bridge group had really given her an ear full and now the yoga class (younger group) is wanting to meet too and don't understand why not.

So I told her "Fine. Go ahead and hold your class. Bridge can go ahead and have their time slot."

She said "What about the family thing? Will we just have to share the room?"

I said, "No. I'll put a sign on the door letting them know that yoga and Bridge usually meets at that time and that due to the ruckus raised, Family Game Night is cancelled."

She said "Well, I don't understand why that's a problem."

I said "It's not any more, J. But I didn't think that with it being a national holiday it would be a problem since you aren't here on Memorial Day. You aren't here Labor Day. You aren't here for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years Day. So, I didn't think it would be any different. "

I doubt they'll get it, and I really couldn't say it any stronger. Maybe she'll think about it. Bridge won't.

The yoga group?





Geez, Louise.

Man, those people need to relax.


HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!




Goddamn, I kill me.

I can't win. REally.

So, now I have planned a Spring Celebration.

Yes, a Spring Celebration instead of an Easter Celebration. No Easter Egg Hunt but the Bunny will be here for photo ops and to pass out candy. A band will play, and there'll be several games and rides.

I'm getting it from both sides re: Why isn't there an Easter Egg Hunt... And, Sure, you close for Easter but what about Passover? No mention of that.

OMG! It's a national holiday. We close for national holidays and I have no control over it being called Easter. Nothing more is meant by it.

And the no egg hunt is because it's pure chaos, there's no place to hide the eggs but to lay them on the grass where dogs poop and pee, and I really don't have time to stuff 800 eggs with the more inclusive activities that are already planned having to also be supervised that morning.

A resident has suggested that I send a "Happy Whatever" out in my weekly e-mails to whichever religion is having a holiday that week.

Uh, yeah. Happy Satanist and Vernal Equinox Day should go over real well.

As Bear said a few minutes ago in our telephone conversation... No wonder there's no peace in the middle east. We can't even manage it in a neighborhood of 3800 where the average home price is $450,000+.

Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I about scripture can help me.... I can't remember which letter it was from Paul to the believers where he said "Behold a rabbit of the field shall expel colored eggs from his bodily orifices and we shall put them in baskets to honor the sacrifice of our lord and savior Jesus Christ"

The good news is that apprently the war on terror is over, we have discovered completely non polluting and renewable enrgy sources and AIDS and cancer have been eradicated because otherwise why would people of any religious belief be taking their time on this non issue?