The legendary leader of the rise of black power in the 20th century would have been 90 years old today had he not been gunned down by three members of the Nation of Islam, he was just 39 years old.
Read more about Malcolm X’s life and legacy at the site dedicated to his memory: Malcolm X.com
Some quotes from Malcolm X:
“I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it’s for or against.”
“A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.”
“Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you’re a man, you take it.”
“You don’t have to be a man to fight for freedom. All you have to do is to be an intelligent human being.”
“Despite my firm convictions, I have always been a man who tries to face facts, and to accept the reality of life as new experience and new knowledge unfolds. I have always kept an open mind, a flexibility that must go hand in hand with every form of the intelligent search for truth.”
“There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.”
“I have more respect for a man who lets me know where he stands, even if he’s wrong. Than the one who comes up like an angel and is nothing but a devil.”
“You’re not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it.”
“If you are in a country that is progressive, the woman is progressive. If you’re in a country that reflects the consciousness toward the importance of education, it’s because the woman is aware of the importance of education. But in every backward country you’ll find the women are backward, and in every country where education is not stressed it’s because the women don’t have education.”
“I believe in a religion that believes in freedom. Any time I have to accept a religion that won’t let me fight a battle for my people, I say to hell with that religion.”
– Malcolm X aka El Hajj Malik El Shabazz (born May 19th, 1925)
h/t Reg Clark
Progressive Action New Hampshire 