MALCOLM’S INFLUENCE THROUGH INTERACTIONS | BY JOSH SOCRATES

May 11, 2020

The 1960’s were a time of cultural change and if there is any figure who resonated with the mindset of the 1960’s, it was Malcolm X. His radical approach towards the Civil Rights Movement and his leadership in the Nation of Islam made him an icon, for better or worse.

Malcolm X had been in contact with many significant figures throughout his life but his most interesting were with Martin Luther King, Muhammed Ali, and Fidel Castro as they allowed his ideas to spread and become more popular. 

These interactions show how much Malcolm contributes with the rise of postmodernism, a movement with attitudes of skepticism or rejection of grand narratives. These interactions with other 1960’s icons show how Malcolm’s ethnic postmodernism influenced how our society approaches racial equality and diversity today. More importantly, they show how he is viewed in a much more positive light as these interactions allowed his ideas to make their way into the mainstream and have become a much more integral part of our society today.

The one interaction that is often discussed is his one with Martin Luther King. Though they were both leaders in the Civil Rights Movement, the two leaders only had one face-to-face interaction for only a few minutes since they had often disagreed with each other. Their meeting on March 26, 1964 signified the rise of ethnic postmodernism. In the book Martin and Malcolm and America: A Dream or a Nightmare, King is described as taking a modern approach as his approach drew influence from a cultural hegemony, the dominance of a particular set of beliefs. In this case, Christianity is the most popular set of beliefs to Americans and King took much influence from the Bible.

On the other hand, Malcolm is considered to have a postmodern approach as the book states, “His approach accented diversity and plurality rather than uniformity and sameness. He called upon Blacks to withdraw from white society to cultivate African-American identity” (Cone 46). His postmodern approach to racial equality resonated with King after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, which was passed four months after their meeting. This allowed it to have a greater appeal to the African American community as this led to the Black Panther Party being formed after his death. His ideas also have to influential black celebrities, most famously Muhammed Ali.

Cassius Clay, known as Muhammed Ali, is one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century as he is one of the greatest boxers of all time. In the book Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X, it described Malcolm’s relationship to Ali as it states, “Malcolm X was a mentor and great friend to Ali, but this had to be kept out of the public career for the sake of Ali’s career.” (Moore 697). One major reason why Ali is revered today is because he was for his ability to go against  a cultural hegemony, influenced by Malcolm X. The book states, “X influenced Ali to not fear the white media in pursuing racial justice.” (Moore 697).

Due to Malcolm’s influence, Ali went against the cultural hegemony that athletes had to conform to the beliefs of the popular media. He would protest against the Vietnam War and bring to light issues in the African American community despite being banned and getting stripped of his titles. Malcolm X influenced Ali to withdraw from white society and express who he is. This would influence future athletes to do the same, one being Colin Kaepernick who has stated both of them to be a great influence on him. Despite his controversy, Kaepernick has been revered mostly as a hero winning countless awards. This has shown that Malcolm and Ali allowed it to be more acceptable for athletes to stand up for their beliefs and be proud of their heritage.  

One of Malcolm’s most infamous encounters was with Fidel Castro, the Prime Minister of Cuba who converted his country to a Communist State. According to the article Fidel Castro and Harlem: Political, Diplomatic, and Social Influences of the 1960 Visit to the Hotel Theresa, “This meeting in Harlem was seen as a ‘conversation between America’s two greatest enemies’” (Crowder 79). Castro was responsible for the Communist Revolution in Cuba, which enticed Malcolm to want to start a “revolution” in America.” Malcolm shared the current issues going on in the United States with Castro, which he was able to use against the United States since they couldn’t deny it.

Their meeting projected the racial problems in the United States on an international scale as more communist states started to take notice. The article states, “The Cuban government brought light to the racial issues in the United States, often to show other countries the problems with capitalism” (Crowder 79). Though Malcolm was viewed as an enemy at this time, he is now seen as showing how oppressive American politics have been to African Americans after this meeting. In our society today, politicians such as Barack Obama have tried to implement policies to help try and rid this history of oppression such as reforming the welfare system. Malcolm X and Fidel Castro helped show the world the racial issues in this country which, in turn, made the United States realize it’s history of oppression.

         Malcolm X wouldn’t be remembered how he is if it wasn’t for the relationships he developed throughout his life. These interactions with other icons showed how radical his ideas were in the 1960’s and why many saw him as a public enemy. Though they made him controversial, his interactions with these icons allowed him to spread his ideas to reach different people. More importantly, they made Malcolm X into a postmodern icon of the 1960’s and an influential figure on our society today. If it wasn’t for Malcolm X, many of the values we have today would not exist and culture would be much different.