Y'dig?

When I was a young guy, in Ireland and growing up in London, I always like Malcolm X. He was bright, he was feisty, he stood up to whitey and the nonsense that racism foisted on him. I liked that he understood that the secret of living a balanced life is inside us, and that, in the end, he realized that he’d taken the wrong path in signing up with the Nation of Islam and it’s false guru, the now shamed and discredited Elija Muhammed. It takes a really brave man to say publicly “I was wrong” and Malcolm was certainly that.

How many of us have taken the wrong path in our lives? And how many of us have recovered from it?

“There are those who will consider it their duty, as friends of the Negro people, to tell us to revile him, to flee, even from the presence of his memory, to save ourselves by writing him out of the history of our turbulent times. Many will ask what Harlem finds to honor in this stormy, controversial and bold young captain—and we will smile. Many will say turn away—away from this man, for he is not a man but a demon, a monster, a subverter and an enemy of the black man—and we will smile. They will say that he is of hate—a fanatic, a racist—who can only bring evil to the cause for which you struggle! And we will answer and say to them: Did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you ever touch him, or have him smile at you? Did you ever really listen to him? Did he ever do a mean thing? Was he ever himself associated with violence or any public disturbance? For if you did you would know him. And if you knew him you would know why we must honor him.”