Today marks the 100th birthday of Malcolm X, an important American Muslim whose legacy can serve as a powerful example for Muslim youth today.
Malcolm X was a Muslim who stood and spoke in a clear, courageous and unequivocal manner for the truth about oppression, truth and freedom. He notably stated that his fight for African American rights in the United States was not a matter of civil rights, but of human rights. He spoke out against the systems of oppression that worked to keep Black people marginalized (he used a term that was common at the time, “Negros”).
In today’s context, Malcolm X’s words continue to ring true, despite the fact that he was assassinated in 1965, when he was only 39 years old on February 21, 1965 in Harlem, NY. Islamic school educators need to make time to teach about Malcolm X in their schools and classrooms in order to give students a concrete example of what it looks like to speak truth to power, to lead with conviction and courage, and to be committed to continuously seek the truth.
- Recommended Resources for Teaching about Malcolm X
- Zinn Education Project– Resources
- When Malcolm X visited Gaza in September 1964– from ISLA’s Teaching Palestine Toolkit
- Lessons From the Life of Malcolm X – Muslim Matters Article
- Malcolm X is Still Misunderstood – and Misused – Dr. Sheikh Omar Suleiman, Yaqeen Institute
- Malcolm X: Ayyub Muhammad Dhamim, 8th grade, Bright Horizon Academy, CA– scroll down to find the 3rd place winning presentation for ISLA’s Celebrating African and African American Muslim History Contest
- Read Book Reviews from the Islamic School Library:
- Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X by Ilyasah Shabazz: Book Review
- Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X: The Fatal Friendship: Book Review
- The Awakening of Malcolm X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Tiffany D. Jackson: Book Review