Happy Birthday Malcolm -

[TBF]

http://vimeo.com/68439541

"I have to say this, then I'll sit down. Back during slavery, when Black people like me talked to the slaves, they didn't kill 'em, they sent some old house Negro along behind him to undo what he said. You have to read the history of slavery to understand this.

There were two kinds of Negroes. There was that old house Negro and the field Negro. And the house Negro always looked out for his master. When the field Negroes got too much out of line, he held them back in check. He put 'em back on the plantation.

The house Negro could afford to do that because he lived better than the field Negro. He ate better, he dressed better, and he lived in a better house. He lived right up next to his master - in the attic or the basement. He ate the same food his master ate and wore his same clothes. And he could talk just like his master - good diction. And he loved his master more than his master loved himself. That's why he didn't want his master hurt.

If the master got sick, he'd say, "What's the matter, boss, we sick?" When the master's house caught afire, he'd try and put the fire out. He didn't want his master's house burned. He never wanted his master's property threatened. And he was more defensive of it than the master was. That was the house Negro.

But then you had some field Negroes, who lived in huts, had nothing to lose. They wore the worst kind of clothes. They ate the worst food. And they caught hell. They felt the sting of the lash. They hated their master. Oh yes, they did.

If the master got sick, they'd pray that the master died. If the master's house caught afire, they'd pray for a strong wind to come along. This was the difference between the two.

And today you still have house Negroes and field Negroes.

I'm a field Negro."

MALCOLM X speaking to young students in Selma, Alabama February 4, 1965

[yallerdawg]

1. This clip is a perfect example...

of how Malcolm X had transcended race, religion, politics and spoke of the human condition, the way of the world. This was a parable for all peoples specific to a time and place and race, but so much more.

He was the greatest orator I have ever heard. His passion and conviction are in virtually every clip we have of him.

He was another profoundly unique human voice cut down too soon.

[socialist_n_TN]

2. Malcolm X was a huge influence on me when I was in my early teens.......

I didn't know much about politics at that time, but I did know that Malcolm was hated and feared by a lot of my elders. One of the biggest fears and reasons for the hatred was his beliefs on self-defense. Something along the lines of *paraphrasing*, "I've got a rifle and I've got a shotgun and I won't hesitate to use it to defend my family if the Klan comes to attack me."

I was 13 or 14 when I first heard that and I couldn't see where that was any different than what I heard from all of my white elders, including some family and their friends. The only difference I could see was that Malcolm was black rather than white. Other than that IT WAS THE SAME SENTIMENT! I couldn't abide the unfairness of that attitude just because of color. So that was a turning point for me. Ergo, a big influence on my future political development.

So, thanks Malcolm X. You were a positive influence on at least one white, southern kid.