Follow-Up to "Brother Minister" & After Spring Break

I returned the DVD, "Brother Minister: The Assassination of Malcolm X," to the library, so some of you who had to leave early can check it out at your leisure and see what you missed. Sorry that it ran a bit longer than I anticipated. They added some things to the DVD version that were not on the VHS version I used to show. For example, they included more extended and redundant clips of Minister Farrakhan, clearly suggesting that the NOI dealt with Malcolm, the traitor, as they saw fit. Let me weigh in on just a couple things.

** First, James Fox, director of the New York office of the FBI. I agree with his denial of any direct involvement of the FBI in Malcolm X's assassination. But there can be no doubt that "behind the scenes" the FBI was not only surveilling Malcolm X but they were actively doing things to exacerbate the split between Malcolm and Elijah Muhammad. And I do not buy for one minute Fox's claim that the media or Congress would have exposed such operations and punished FBI officials for misconduct. To my knowledge, NOT ONE FBI AGENT OR OFFICIAL (NOT EVEN WILLIAM SULLIVAN WHO WROTE THE NOTE TO KING THREATENING TO EXPOSE HIM) WAS EVER FIRED, REPRIMANDED OR PUNISHED IN ANY WAY FOR WHAT THEY DID IN THE 60s. THE PRESS LARGELY FAILED AT THE TIME AND EVEN SUBSEQUENTLY TO COVER THESE MISDEEDS.

** The "Black Messiah Letter" (that you have a copy of) CANNOT be used as evidence of FBI involvement in Malcolm X's assassination. But there can be no question the FBI was intent on trying to "neutralize" leaders such as Malcolm X and King, among others.

** Brother Kondo, author of "Unraveling the Assassination" (which I have not read), was right on target in his description of what the FBI's "COINTELPRO" operation entailed. It was mainly about discrediting, neutralizing, sowing dissension, exploiting weaknesses to cripple what Hoover thought was a subversive movement, which we call today the Civil Rights Movement.

** Benjamin Karim and Charles Kenyatta, two trusted aides to Malcolm X after he left the NOI, clearly said they did not see Johnson or Butler at the Audobon. Likewise, undercover NYPD cop, Gene Roberts. All of them should have been called to testify at the trial, but they weren't. The prosecution was just intent on winning convictions and perhaps covering up the NYPD's undercover surveillance operation. And the defense was incompetent.

** I generally agree with Brother Kondo, and William Kuntsler, that five NOI individuals out of the Newark mosque, which included Hayer, did it. Kuntsler, who was a radical lawyer at the time said he turned down the offer to represent Hayer at the time. But he regretted that because he now sees how the trial might have exposed the NYPD and FBI surveillance operations. I have not read Hayer's handwritten account of what actually happened which he wrote in prison. But it sounds credible from what those on the video said about it.

** New York Daily News reporter, Jack Newfield, who suspects government involvement, said some things that are suspect. He claimed John Ali was an FBI informant, which is possible, but one of his sources for this, Karl Evanzz, is NOT credible. And his implication that Malcolm's trip to Selma was supported by Coretta King and Andy Young is not accurate. Malcolm was invited by SNCC, and Coretta and Andy Young were worried about what he would say. It is certainly possible that Malcolm might have eventually joined forces with King, but I believe Newfield's claims are exaggerated and inaccurate.
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AFTER THE BREAK: Try to remember that we will be relocating the class to OLIN 219 for our next meeting and for the rest of the semester. If you get a chance, do begin reading Between Cross and Crescent, thru Chapter 2. I will probably begin talking about it during that first class after the break. Your next set of journal entries is not due until TUESDAY, APRIL 13TH. Finally, the class right after the break (Apr. 6th) is the deadline to clear with me any alternative paper topics you may have in mind. Have a good and safe spring break. See you in a couple weeks.

Follow-Up to Assassination Remarks

Before I attempt to patch up some of my scattered remarks on Malcolm X's assassination, I'd like to make a couple final comments about the Autobiography. First, with regard to Alex Haley's Epilogue, I believe that reading the Epilogue is important to understand how the Autobiography was actually written and how Haley interacted with Malcolm during the time of their collaboration. Unfortunately, Haley's account of the assassination is not very good or precise. One other thing I did want to bring out was Haley's very good description of the predicament Malcolm X was in in January, '65, roughly a month before his death. Haley says, "He talked about the pressures on him everywhere he turned, and about the frustrations, among them that no one wanted to accept anything related to him except 'my old hate and violence image.' He said 'the so-called moderate' civil rights organizations avoided him as 'too militant' and the 'so-called militants' avoided him as 'too moderate.' 'They won't let me turn the corner!' he once exclaimed, 'I'm caught in a trap.'" (p. 431) And Ossie Davis's brief remarks at the end underscore why he admired him, thoughts that are more eloquently expressed in his Eulogy, which I handed out in class yesterday.

MALCOLM X'S ASSASSINATION: First, let me apologize for my rather scattered remarks yesterday. I realized just before class that I did not have a good synopsis of the assassination and the questions it raises, so I just "winged it," so to speak. Nonetheless, even though it was scattered, the points I made are valid, I believe. So, in this follow-up I am going to reiterate some points, but hopefully present them in a bit more coherent, organized fashion. Also, let me preface this by saying that my references to both the Kennedy and King assassinations probably sounded to you as a bit extreme, like a wild-eyed, so-called "conspiracy buff." Let me assure you that I am not a "buff." I spent many years studying both assassinations (more than 30 years in the case of Kennedy), and most of my studies have focused on the official investigations of those events, not reading the countless books of wild-eyed conspiracy buffs (among whom I would include Oliver Stone). Although the lingering questions about Malcolm X's assassination are not nearly as significant as Kennedy & King, those unanswered questions, unfortunately, have spawned irresponsible conspiracy theories which I believe need to be discredited. And more importantly, we need to demand that our criminal justice system and local and federal investigatory bodies (NYPD, FBI, et. al.) operate more honestly and truthfully with an eye to getting at the truth, not merely being satisfied with politically-acceptable solutions.

* As I mentioned in class, two books stand out in my mind for their objective treatment of the assassination, focusing especially on the trial of the accused assassins. Those are: Malcolm X: The Assassination by Michael Friedly & The Death and Life of Malcolm X by Peter Goldman.

* Friedly does an especially good job documenting the fact that the NOI clearly had the ability and desire to kill Malcolm X, that is, the MEANS & MOTIVE. Malcolm was clearly the greatest threat to that orgainization not only because of his knowledge of Elijah Mohammad's sexual infidelity but also because of corruption among the higher ups in the organization, not to mention dealings with the KKK and the American Nazi Party (the latter is not even mentioned in the Autobiography). Silencing Malcolm X was really essential to the survival of the NOI in many respects.

* The "Fruit of Islam" (FOI) was involved in more than just security and protection. Increasingly, they had taken up the task of disciplining members who strayed from the fold. Friedly notes, "The evolution of the Fruit of Islam was also significant because of the increasing tendency for the FOI to use force against former members of the Nation rather than against the enemies of the movement. Although the original justification of having a paramilitary wing to the Nation of Islam was to serve as the vanguard against Euro-American society, there were no major cases of reported violence between the FOI and whites, although there are countless instances in which the FOI instigated violence against those blacks who supposedly betrayed the movement." (p. 185)

* The trial was a travesty in many respects, and both the defense and prosecution are to blame. First, the police and prosecution decided to charge only 3 individuals, despite the fact that most of the evidence pointed to 5 conspirators. And the prosecution knew from grand jury testimony and from undercover police officer, Gene Roberts, that two of the charged individuals, Butler and Johnson, were not even in the Audobon Ballroom, much less assassins. Apparently, the FBI was also aware of this. But the prosecution went forward anyway, never calling Roberts to testify, for fear of bringing out in the open their surveillance of Malcolm X. The FBI and CIA had ongoing surveillance of Malcolm X, but they too did not want their operations compromised. Friedly also makes clear that whatever Malcolm X was threatening to do, such as charge the U.S. with human rights violations in the UN, was not serious enough for the FBI or CIA to even contemplate killing him. Neither the prosecution or the defense seem interested in trying to get to the bottom of the conspiracy, that is, whether someone higher up in the NOI had ordered Malcolm X's assassination. The defense was no "dream team," such as represented O.J. Simpson. Despite the prosecution's hiding some evdence, they should still have been able to prove Butler and Johnson had nothing to do with it. In short, it seemed that everyone wanted to just get passed this episode with some sort of resolution that would satisfy the public but leave many questions unanswered.

* Goldman makes a good point about Hayer, the one individual who clearly was directly involved: that if Hayer had been hired by the CIA or FBI he would have been happy to pin the blame on the NOI, but he did everything to try to shield them during the trial.

* Goldman also makes a good point that many people, followers of Malcolm X, apparently felt the need to invent a better death for Malcolm -- that is, that he must have been killed by "the man," by elements of the white power structure: the CIA, FBI, et. al.. Being killed by other Blacks only cast the cause of African Americans in a bad light.

* There are some other interesting "loose ends," in this story, some of which will be brought up in the video program we will see next Tuesday.
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PLEASE INCORPORATE THE ABOVE COMMENTS IN YOUR CLASS NOTES. Remember that your next set of journal entries are due next week, and we will hear from: Emily, Sarah, Michaela, and Lauren. Following their presentations, we will see: "Brother Minister: The Assassination of Malcolm X," which runs about an hour and a half. Regarding our next book, Between Cross and Crescent, you can read the Introduction and selections #1 & 2, which takes you up to p. 82, HOWEVER, THERE IS NO HURRY ON THIS SINCE WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THIS UNTIL AFTER SPRING BREAK.

Clarification on Essay I & Other Matters

CLARIFICATION ON ESSAY I: At the beginning of class yesterday, Annie brought up a valid point about Essay I, which I did not really consider when I wrote that description. The question is: what did I mean by suggesting you adopt the perspective of Malcolm X "in his prime" because, as we all know, he went through some significant changes during the last couple years of his life. What I would say is simply, try to consider Malcolm's life AS A WHOLE, and don't just gear your answer to one stage of his life. Actually, I believe his reaction to the attached essay would not necessarily be all that different whether you were focusing on Malcolm as the spokesperson for the NOI or convert to orthodox Islam. In evaluating your "letters to the editor," I am simply going to be looking for any evidence that what you say is consistent with views that Malcolm X expressed in the Autobiography. I guess when I decided to use the phrase, "in his prime," I was thinking broadly of his public career after he was paroled from prison in 1952. I hope this is helpful and sorry for the confusion this may have caused. FINALLY, REMEMBER THAT THIS ESSAY IS DUE NEXT TUESDAY, MARCH 16TH.
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OTHER MATTERS: As I noted in class yesterday, your journal entries do NOT have to focus only on passages in the Autobiography or other readings. In the syllabus, I just suggested that this may be the easiest way to do this. BUT I ALSO NOTED THAT YOU ARE WELCOME TO WRITE ABOUT ANYTHING WE DO IN CLASS, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE MR. HANIF'S PRESENTATION, OR THE VIDEO PROGRAM WE SAW YESTERDAY. YOU MIGHT EVEN WANT TO FOLLOW-UP ON SOME OF YOUR CLASSMATES' PRESENTATIONS. SO KEEP THIS IN MIND AS YOU START WORK ON YOUR NEXT SET.
Be sure to read over the Paper Topic description I handed out yesterday and give some thought to which of the two topics (or an alternative) you'd like to write on.
As I noted yesterday as well, I will wrap up the Autobiography next time and make a quick transition to Malcolm X's assassination, which as the video program noted, has some "loose ends," so to speak. Next week I will probably also give the first reading assignment from "Between Cross and Crescent." You are welcome to start reading that book, but if you do, take some notes so that when we begin to discuss it in class you will be able to recall some of what you read.

That's all for now.

Follow-Up To Mr. Hanif's Presentation & Looking Ahead

I trust that all of you learned something about the Hajj and some other Muslim rituals from Mr. Hanif who experienced this first-hand. In this brief follow-up, I'd like to underscore a few broad points from his talk which are especially pertinent to understanding Malcolm X's (or Malik Shabazz's, as Mr. Hanif often referred to him) experience in Mecca.

1. First and foremost, as Mr. Hanif tried to impress on you throughout his talk, this is an INTENSE, PHYSICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY DEMANDING EXPERIENCE, WHICH CAN HAVE PROFOUND EFFECTS ON THE PERSON WHO GOES THROUGH IT.

a.) Mr. Hanif talked a lot about the physical demands which one has to endure with patience -- all the walking, running, sleeping in tents and in the open, dealing with the heat and cold, sickness, even death for some, which, as he noted, was a common occurence and seen as guaranteeing one's place in heaven.

2. When you go on the hajj you have to be ready financially, have no debts, make sure your family is provided for, make out your will. You go as if you are going to die; you leave everything behind, especially material possessions. Letting go of material possessions, of this world, prepares one to be alone with God (Allah) as on the plain of Arafat.

3. Mr. Hanif also noted how this experience with so many other Muslims from all corners of the globe breaks down barriers between people and forces you to be dependent on your fellow Muslims. He noted that this brotherhood aspect had a great impact on Malcolm X which led him to change his views on other ethnic groups, especially whites. And Mr. Hanif felt Malcolm X was very sincere in expressing his changed beliefs.

4. One can imagine that just as Mr. Hanif noted how he had changed as a person after the hajj, that Malcolm X experienced something similar -- but in Malcolm X's case he was under such pressure when he got back to the U.S. due to assassination threats, trying to get his fledgling OAAU organization off the ground, among other things, that he never really had the chance to become the new person the hajj experience may have given rise to.

PLEASE COPY OR PRINT OUT THE ABOVE POINTS. IF I ASK YOU ANYTHING ABOUT MR. HANIF'S PRESENTATION ON THE FINAL EXAM IT WILL COME FROM THESE POINTS.

As Mr. Hanif closed his presentation, he was also sincere in his open invitation to anyone in the class to ask him any further questions. Although he works mostly in a back room in the library, you will find him occasionally manning the Reference Desk on the first floor.

Finally, at our next meeting, I will hand out a couple brief articles Mr. Hanif shared with me several years ago which highlight some of the serious differences between the NOI ideology and orthodox Islam.
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LOOKING AHEAD: I believe next week (March 9th) I am going to go ahead and show that documentary I mentioned briefly in class, "Malcolm X: Make It Plain". It runs 2 hours, and we will do it in the latter half of our class. It is a nice summation of his life and philosophy. I assume that all or most of you have finished the Autobiography by now, so you should be ready for this.

Also next week, your second set of 5 journal entries are due. And Frances, Annie, Michaela, Sami will be called upon to present one of your entries to the class. I assume that this second set will focus on passages and events later in the Autobiography. Of course, you are also welcome to comment on some aspect of Mr. Hanif's presentation.

The first essay assignment I handed out yesterday will not be due until Tuesday, March 16th, but you certainly can begin to work on that at any time.

Since I probably won't have much time to wrap up my comments on the Autobiography next time (due to the video presentation), I will do my wrap up on the 16th and perhaps also make the transition to talking about Malcolm X's assassination. After this, we will then get into Between Cross and Crescent.

Finally, I hope to have a write-up of the paper assignment (which will be due near the end the semester) next time as well.

See you then.