John Norton ES 3190

Malcolm X As an Archetype for Modern Revolutionaries

In the last part of Malcolm Xs life, his viewpoint matured from a naive, albeit powerful, message of white-black separation as a member of the Nation Of Islam, towards a mature, insightful vision of the endemic racism in the United States and other first-world countries. Along with this new vision of world Imperialism and the problems faced by minorities everywhere, Malcolm was desperately trying to conceive solutions. The man Malcolm became was the most powerful American revolutionary of the 20th century. Some of his qualities, beliefs, and arguably even his experiences could be considered to constitute an archetype for anyone who is committed to a revolutionary change of political power. In prison, Malcolm passed time as a debater.
1

As a member of the Nation of Islam, one

of Malcolms main activities was to recruit new members. 2 His practice debating certainly helped Malcolm recruit for the Nation. He also honed his speechcraft at the NOI, learning what was the most surefire way to incite the recipients of his temple services. The experience of debating and recruiting, working with reason to sway others towards your beliefs, is important for any person or group who wants to build support (unless that person or group intends to build support through violence and overwhelming military power). Even the experience of jail itself helped put Malcolm in contact with the most disenfranchised people in society, those who have the least to gain from upholding the status quo (although as an African American he already knew a lot about disenfranchisement). A revolution does not require a majority of society take part in order to be successful, but a significant amount of people (or power) must be involved. There must be enough members to, or money in, the revolution so as to impart sufficient pressure on the powers that be to enact meaningful change. A revolutionary has much to gain from acquiring more members to his or her cause. The insight that real change comes from violent revolution, (and that You havent got a revolution that doesnt involve bloodshed,3) is an example of a revolutionary belief of Malcolms.

John Norton ES 3190 This shows an understanding of the immense change to status quo that would happen from the realization of Malcolms struggle for equality, along with the strength of the inherent resistance from those who stood to lose their advantage. Malcolm pointed to African countries that fought to gain independence as an example of change that was occurring not only North America, but all over the world.4 Modern revolutionaries, or those seeking political change, must accept that working for their cause will bring conflicts. Conflicts bring attention to the revolutionary groups cause, and increase awareness of the corruption or oppression the group is suffering. This, in turn brings retaliation. For example, The Tiananmen Square protest of China created powerful images which helped to spark a precipitation of events that ultimately led to the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the revolution of Eastern Europe of 1989. In an interview with Marlene Nadle, Malcolm X was asked why is he willing to go to such extremes, (meaning violence)5 . He responded Only violence, or a real threat of it will get results5. This has been evident in many revolutionary struggles. Like the law of inertia, those in power tend to not give up power willingly. In general unyielding pressure is the only way to change the distribution of power. For example, the 1996 attacks by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) against the Yugoslav police stations and government officers were denounced by Serbian authorities. The KLA was labeled a terrorist organization 6. This labeling by the authorities had the counterproductive effect of boosting KLA credibility and increased support from the Kosovo Albanian population 6. The rise in popularity of the KLA from these campaigns of provocation ultimately led to the Republic of Kosovo declaring independence in February, 2008 7. Malcolm also had an excellent ability to frame his argument for his audience. An example of this is his speech, The Ballot or the Bullet8, where Malcolm tells blacks of the power of their votes as a deciding factor when voting as a bloc, but also cautions that if real equality is not reached through this process in a timely fashion, violent revolution will be necessary. Malcolms rejection of complete non-violence positioned him as a distinct choice from the mainstream civil rights leaders. At the same time, his advocacy of using the power of

John Norton ES 3190 voting before attempting any violent revolution seems to be a compromise allowing more moderate people around the world to listen to and accept his argument. As he advocated, an oppressed group must be able to articulate their argument, and organize themselves as a body of people. Uniting around a clear, easy to understand cause allows recognition of the revolutionary movement by the masses, creating more awareness of what the group is trying to achieve. Working to achieve change is more effective as a united group against an oppressor, and the larger you can make the group through compromise without sacrificing the core values of the revolution, the greater the likelihood of success. In reality, most revolutionary events dont have one figurehead (until possibly later when looked upon by history), rather a network of groups with common goals coalesce to form a revolution. In the events that occurred in the Arab Spring, many groups united against their political oppressor, causing civil uprisings that included non-violent and violent protests. These revolutionary events did not have one leader to serve as a figurehead, rather the efforts of many groups came to a head and led to the population springing into revolt, spurred on by the organizing power of social media. The uprising which began in Tunisia and Egypt ultimately influenced the impressive but largely impotent Occupy Wall street movement and the October 15th global protests. This worldwide feedback loop of revolution is similar to the idea of a global struggle of oppressed versus oppressor that Malcolm X was trying to establish before his untimely death. When Malcolm traveled across Africa meeting heads of state, 9 he tried to forge connections between Africa and the African American community. He had the chance to meet powerful potential allies for the African American struggle, such as Dr. Kwame Nkrumah 10. This process of reaching out to potential allies is necessary for a successful revolution. Allies can be crucial to a revolutionary group as a source of aid, particularly financial aid. One of the first allies to the Sidi Bouzid Revolt in Tunisia was the United States through USAID, which provided over $19 million dollars in support of Tunisias transition to democracy, and an additional $3

John Norton ES 3190 million in humanitarian aid. It is interesting to note that America also provided support to Tunisias former dictator President Ben Ali. Even the ally of your enemy has the potential to be your ally, if your cause is proven to be viable. Allies can also provide other forms of aid, such as weapons or military aid. As the end of Malcolms life drew near, he was constantly hounded by the threat of death. 11 Many political activists and revolutionaries are threatened in attempts to silence them. Just as these threats did not stop Malcolm, others seeking revolutionary change must be willing to give their life for their cause. This complete devotion to the cause is important in garnering support from ones constituency. Other people cannot be expected to fight for something with their lives if those in leadership positions are not willing to do the same. Malcolm X gave an example of the Mau Mau in Africa. The Mau Mau were one of the first of the liberation movements on the African continent that aimed to expel European colonial powers. He described this group as being committed to any means necessary to bring recognition and respect to their people 12. Modern revolutionaries must remain committed to their cause particularly when they are in a leadership position of a revolutionary group with the ability to influence others. In many cases, it is this kind of leadership position that can cost the revolutionary his or her life. Malcolm X created the secular Organization of Afro American Unity in an effort to fight for the human rights of African Americans as well as promote cooperation between African Americans and Africans. This organization was modeled after the former Organization for African Unity (now known as the African Union). Other aims of the organization were to provide a collective voice for African Americans, and to promote their economic security. Any revolutionary group seeking to encourage membership can benefit by establishing a non profit organization, dedicated to a national movement. For an example, Freedom Road Socialist Organization is such an organization. Their goals are to end national oppression, and the struggle of oppressed minorities in the United States 13. The members of Freedom Road are

John Norton ES 3190 highly active in fighting for justice in labor, oppressed nationality, anti-war, anti-imperialist and and student movements. Founded in 1985, they have been active in social, non-violent revolution for almost 30 years. Unlike Malcolm Xs era, it is much easier to unite disparate people into a group focused on common goals of political change or other types of progress. Tools that increase the speed of communication are ubiquitous. Social media sites were shown to be an effective tool in the Arab Spring revolutions, where many activists used sites like Facebook and Twitter as a key tool in expressing their thoughts, organizing their movements, and even displaying images of unjust acts committed by the government. Early in the Arab Spring revolution against Hosni Mubarak of 2011, Egypt turned the Internet off in an attempt to inhibit communication between protesters. 14 Although the tactics and strategies of revolution must be tailored to modern norms and technologies, revolutionaries and those interested in changing the political establishment can look to Malcolm X as an example of someone whose life embodies the spirit of revolution. His life experiences and his realizations as to the nature of modern political power made him the powerful revolutionary icon that he became. Malcolm X was killed before his impact was completely felt, but his absolute commitment to the goal of African American equality, and later to equality of all people, enabled him to make a lasting contribution to the welfare of African Americans and the understanding of their plight around the world. In that way Malcolm had at least partially obtained his revolutionary goals.

John Norton ES 3190

Citations
X, Malcolm. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. 18th ed. Penguin Books Ltd: Guernsey, 1965, p. 277.
1.

X, Malcolm. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. 18th ed. Penguin Books Ltd: Guernsey, 1965, p. 296-297.
2.

3. X, Malcolm and Breitman, George. Malcolm X Speaks, Selected Speeches and Statements. 1990 ed. New York, NY: Grove Press, 1965, p. 1-10. X, Malcolm and Clark, Steve. Malcolm X Speaks: February 1965, The Final Speeches. 1st ed. Atlanta, GA: Pathfinder Press, 1992, p. 165.
4.

John Norton ES 3190

X, Malcolm and Clark, Steve. Malcolm X Speaks: February 1965, The Final Speeches. 1st ed. Atlanta, GA: Pathfinder Press, 1992, p. 275.
5.

6. Kieth, R. (May, 1999). Failure of diplomacy, returning osce human rights monitor offers a view from the ground in kosovo. Retrieved from http://www.thedemocrat.com/ 7. Hsu, J. (2008, February 20). Taiwan officially recognizes kosovo, james huang says. Retrieved from http://www.taipeitimes.com/ 8. X, Malcolm and Breitman, George. Malcolm X Speaks, Selected Speeches and Statements. 1990 ed. New York, NY: Grove Press, 1965, p. 23-44. X, Malcolm. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. 18th ed. Penguin Books Ltd: Guernsey, 1965, p. 457-480.
9.

X, Malcolm. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. 18th ed. Penguin Books Ltd: Guernsey, 1965, p. 472-473.
10.

X, Malcolm and Clark, Steve. Malcolm X Speaks: February 1965, The Final Speeches. 1st ed. Atlanta, GA: Pathfinder Press, 1992, p. 17-19.
11.

X, Malcolm and Breitman, George. Malcolm X Speaks, Selected Speeches and Statements. 1990 ed. New York, NY: Grove Press, 1965, p. 209-210.
12.

13. Unity statement of freedom road socialist organization. (2001, May). Retrieved from http://www.frso.org/ 14. Cowie, J. (2011). Egypt Leaves the Internet. Renesys, Retrieved from http://www.renesys.com/2011/01/egypt-leaves-the-internet/