A google search of brother Malcolm reveals many sources referring to him as “American,” yet he clearly stated throughout his life that he was not an American.
During a speech that he delivered in Cleveland on April 3, 1964, Malcolm X stated:
“I’m not a politician, not even a student of politics. In fact, I’m not a student of much of anything. I’m not a Democrat, I’m not a Republican, and I don’t even consider myself an American. If you and I were Americans, there’d be no problem. Those Honkies that just got off the boat, they’re already Americans. Polacks are already Americans. The Italian refugees are already Americans. Everything that came out of Europe, every blue-eyed thing, is already an American, and as long as you and I have been over here, we aren’t Americans yet.”
In the same speech he continued, “No, I am not an American. I’m one of the 22 million black people who are the victims of Americanism; one of the 22 million black people who are the victims of democracy, nothing but disguised hypocrisy.
“So, I’m not standing here speaking to you as an American, or a patriot, or a flag-saluter, or a flag-waver. No, not I. I am speaking as a victim of this American system, and I see America through the eyes of the victim. I don’t see any American dream; I see an American nightmare.”
Not only did Malcolm outline what black people were not, he also identified what we were. In that same speech he stated, “you and I, 22 million African-Americans — that’s what we are — Africans who are in America. You’re nothing but Africans. Nothing but Africans. In fact, you’d get farther calling yourself African instead of Negro.”
Today many Malcolm X admirers would post his quotes on their Instagram and wear T-shirts with his face printed on them, yet turn around and call themselves “Americans” and even reject Africa.
I hope that those people can realize that it is contradictory to pay homage to Malcolm without paying homage to his political ideas.
