Negro Digest - Freedom Archives

amount of emphasis-both in Bro . Moore's verbal explanation of the
proposed college and in the literature written for its promotion-on the
conclusions reached by Bro . Malcolm after his trip to Mecca . While
we did not wish, in any way, to challenge those conclusions, we still
found the amount of attention given them disconcerting . It was as if the
entire bitter experience of Malcolm's life had been subordinated in importance
to the assertion that "no one who knew him before and after
his trip to Mecca could doubt that he had completely abandoned racism,
separatism, and hatred ." (Such as this never fails to strike me as being
weird and specious . I mean, it is as if the problem of racism and hatred
in America is primarily one of black racism and hatred and we therefore
ought to rejoice when a black man abandons racism and hatred.
Kind of reminds you of the common fallacy regarding violence in this
country . "If we black folks weren't violent everything would be O.K .")
It also occurred to us that any institutionalizing of Malcolm's name,
based on such a premise, could only serve to reduce the impact of the
revolutionary meaning and significance of his life . Further still, our
reservations were enhanced by the subtle but unmistakable connection
which was being drawn between this proposed undertaking and the
philosophy of non-violence . Would-be patrons were being asked to sign
a statement of support which began : "I wish to show proof, in the form
of positive action, that I support non-violent projects that will give evidence
to the black community that we are interested in them and are
willing to accept their ideas on what is best for them-." It is possible
that our comprehension of this statement was awry, but it appeared to
us to clearly imply that the proposed college was expected-either
through its realization or its function-to contribute to the perpetuation
of non-violence . Our suspicion of this was greatly increased by Bro.
Moore's verbal assertion that he believed the college would show "goodwill"
on the part of whites . "That's fine," we thought, "if others wished
to believe this," but we remained convinced that any effort to further
non-violence or to show "goodwill" by exploiting the name of Malcolm
X, who again and again cautioned us against trickery and taught that
non-violence was suicidal, was both insulting and misleading . (I should
like to make it clear that I am not attempting to take on the philosophy
of non-violence here . That, indeed, is the subject of another argument . )
As I stated, we had other reservations of a more primary nature . To
understand these it is necessary not to forget our stated commitment to
the creation of a Black University . In our opinion, this was a commitment
before which all other considerations having to do with the higher
education of blacks should yield . In light of this, the proposed "College
of Malcolm X", it was thought, would affect pre-maturely the develop-
(Continued on page 59)
18 March 1970 NEGRO DIGEST