Malcolm X (1925–1965) was an American human rights activist and Muslim minister who was a hugely important figure in the civil rights movement.
Best known for his advocacy for the rights of people of colour, he is the subject of Spike Lee’s critically acclaimed, award winning biopic, which features Denzel Washington as Malcolm X.
Malcolm X is this month’s curated Freedom Film Club film.
The film dramatises key events in Malcolm X’s life: his criminal career, his incarceration, his conversion to Islam, his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam and his later falling out with the organisation, his marriage to Betty X, his pilgrimage to Mecca and reevaluation of his views concerning white people, and his assassination on February 21, 1965. Defining childhood incidents, including his father’s death, his mother’s mental illness, and his experiences with racism are dramatised in flashbacks.
In the present day, numerous children of African descent, both in the United States and Africa, declare “I am Malcolm X.” Among them are Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale, the Rev. Al Sharpton, and anti-apartheid activist and future South African President Nelson Mandela, who begins quoting one of Malcolm X’s speeches.
We view films and discuss them from 1900-2200pm UK time.
Please do let us know if you’ll be watching and of course share thoughts on the hashtag.
