May 18th, 2009
May 19th marks the birthdate of Malcolm X. He remains, I believe, poorly understood.
From Wikipedia:
Malcolm X (pronounced /ɛks/) (born Malcolm Little; May 19, 1925– February 21, 1965), also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz[1] (Arabic: الحاجّ مالك الشباز ), was an African American Muslim, public speaker, and human rights activist. To his admirers, he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans. His detractors accused him of preaching racism and violence. He has been described as one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history. minister,
I believe that Malcolm X was of tremendous influence and remains a source of inspiration for millions today. It is unfortunate that despite the fact he was born here in Omaha, we have failed to acknowledge him and his legacy.
Some resources and sources of information:
Malcolm X Memorial Foundation on Twitter
Petition to place Malcolm X in Nebraska Hall of Fame (please sign)
in his own words…