Today marks 100 years since the birth of Malcolm X, one of the most significant figures in the history of Black America.
A century later, his enduring legacy is remembered not just in the United States but across the globe. The impact of his radical activism continues to be honoured worldwide, especially in the face of ongoing injustice. The final two years of Malcolm’s life, following his break from the Nation of Islam, marked a pivotal shift toward internationalist and anti-capitalist values deeply embedded in his activism.
After returning from the Hajj in April 1964 and undertaking extensive travels across Africa and the Middle East, Malcolm concluded that “our success in America will involve two circles: Black Nationalism and Islam.” Black Nationalism, he argued, was essential for connecting African Americans with Africa, while Islam served as the “spiritual link to Africa, Arabia, and Asia.”
His famed Letter from Mecca, written during the Hajj, can thus be viewed as a revelatory moment foreshadowing the rapid evolution of his worldview and politics in the two years leading up to his untimely death.
The views expressed in the letter, which came as a surprise to his audience back home, not only confirmed the finality of his split from the Nation of Islam but also revealed his newfound commitment to a more universal vision of brotherhood, humanity, and international solidarity in the pursuit of Black liberation.
Upon returning to the United States, Malcolm X founded the Organisation of Afro-American Unity (OOAU) as an extension of his earlier Muslim Mosque, Inc. (MMI). His eventual fusion of Black Nationalism and Islam successfully brought together secular activists and Black Muslims from across the country, within a framework that was increasingly anti-capitalist, anti-colonial, and internationalist.
Malcolm drew inspiration from various African and Arab nationalist movements that combined socialism with ideals of global brotherhood and solidarity, such as the rise of Nasserism in Egypt and Kwame Nkrumah’s anti-colonial efforts in Ghana. He also expressed support for revolutionary movements in China and Cuba, and even personally met with Fidel Castro before his departure from the Nation of Islam.
While his travels through the Muslim world reinforced the insights he gained during the Hajj, particularly that Islam is “the one religion that erases from society the race problem,” his journey across Africa also awakened him to classism and other systemic forms of oppression within Black communities on the continent.
Source: Malcolm X’s Spiritual Shift: From The Nation Of Islam To Sunni Faith
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