Malcolm X and Modern Politics
How can we stop politics always stealing the spotlight?
February marks Black History Month for the 43rd year in a row. The month is structured to honor the lives of so many people who have prioritized national civil rights over just their own wellbeing and have truly opened the door for some many people of color, socioeconomic status, and all other forms of diversity.
An integral part of February being Black History Month stemmed from the supposed birthday of one of the most revered and popular abolitionists in American history — Frederick Douglass. Yet, as we just see day after day, Black History stems from not just the efforts of a few individuals, but the culmination of work from millions of people, of all races and religions, set to achieve one of the first steps towards equality.
And as controversial as he may be, Malcolm X is definitely at the top of this list.
Recently, numerous videos of Malcolm X’s take on politics have resurfaced on platforms like Youtube. The conversation stemming from the discussion of the “white liberal”, the “white conservative”, and of course the black populace.
One of his most famous quotes on the matter is as followed:
“ We, the Black masses, don’t want these leaders who seek our support coming to us representing a certain political party. They must come to us today as Black Leaders representing the welfare of Black people. We won’t follow any leader today who comes on the basis of political party. Both parties( Democrat and Republican) are controlled by the same people who have abused our rights, and who have deceived us with false promises every time an election rolls around.”
As the Virginian gubernatorial issues plague Black History Month with references to the dark history of America, I think it is crucial we look again at how much political change has influenced people of color, mostly of African descent.
As statistics from a 1998 Brookings Publication puts it,
“Fifty years ago most blacks were indeed trapped in poverty, although they did not reside in inner cities.” And, “from 1940 to 1970, black men cut the income gap by about a third, and by 1970 they were earning (on average) roughly 60 percent of what white men took in. The advancement of black women was even more impressive. Black life expectancy went up dramatically, as did black homeownership rates. Black college enrollment also rose — by 1970 to about 10 percent of the total, three times the prewar figure.”
This trend continued for the subsequent years that followed, and it still has been progressively improving until this day. We might not be able to attest Trump solely to historic black unemployment lows, but the trend developed from the civil rights movement set it up so that these statistics of unemployment can continue to decrease, and a lot of it seems, has nothing to do with the President.
From 1940 to 2020, there will be 7 Democrats. Guess how many Republicans? 7. Democrats have maintained the office for about 41 years. Republicans? 40. And of course, this statistic does not tell the entire truth. FDR was in his third and fourth terms from 1940 to 1945, Kennedy was assassinated, and Nixon resigned. But all signs hint towards a balance. These fluctuations in political affiliations are also evident in the legislative branch and even in the judicial branch too.
The common perception that Democrats are the ones who care about minorities and Republicans dislike them is not really true. Does Trump dislike minorities? From his rhetoric, a strong argument could be made for that he does. But the same has impacted almost every other federal leader in today’s world.
Change will of course happen. It has been ongoing for years. But I think it is important that when we look at Black History Month, we need to refresh our minds away from simply associating it with politics because I believe that belittles a lot of the actual progressive change that our nation has observed. Millions of people would not be able to step foot onto this nation without the effort of others, and a lot of this change has been achieved without political motivation or affiliation. Democrats have controlled inner cities for years, and there has not been too much change. Republicans have been given the opportunity to enact policies that directly impact minorities, and there has not been too much change. For me, the change has only stemmed from the activism of people, and that is something I hope we continue to acknowledge more and more in the future. The only change I see that can be beneficial in the world of politics is that change that is proven to be truly bipartisan and truly effective — we just have not been able to see too much recently.
Someday, we might even decide to remove Black History month, because every month will be set aside to honor minorities and those who have struggled to lay the stepping stones for what we are now.
