As we celebrate Black History month, we should not forget that on this date February 21 1965, Malcolm X and as he was later known, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz was brutally murdered as he got ready to speak inside New York’s famed Audubon Ballroom. There was the famed, Presbyterian hospital right across the street, but it took almost an hour for him to be taken there.. Hopefully we take a little time out to reflect on Malcolm’s philosophies and also the cointel-pro efforts used to take him out and kill him..
Just on a side note, the Audubon was an influential and popular spot for Hip Hop as it was emerging in the 1970s..Many of the great pioneering groups cut their teeth there. The love affair Hip Hop had with Malcolm should not be overlooked. Long before sampling and records, deejays especially Afrika Bambaataa would rock excerpts from Malcolm’s speeches over beats..In fact one of the first labels to put out Hip Hop breakbeats Paul Winley records also put out records of Malcolm’s speeches. I still have my vintage copies of Legend of Malcolm X Black man’s History.
We wanted to post a couple of clips for us to remember him by including this interview from 1965 on CBC TV just weeks before Malcolm was killed …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7IJ7npTYrU
In this clip we honor Malcolm X by fusing excerpts from his speech message to the Grassroots where he talks about Revolution and questions whether or not we’re ready to embrace it.. We also hear reaction to his death at the time it happened.. We conclude with the riveting eulogy given at his funeral by actor the late Ossie Davis..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7o3zVD7rx0
