Malcolm X’s death should bring life to African American fight
for honor, dignity
The following is a eulogy delivered by Ossie Davis at the
funeral of Malcolm X on Feb. 27, 1965 at the Faith Temple Church Of
God
Here – at this final hour, in this quiet place – Harlem has come
to bid farewell to one of its brightest hopes – extinguished now,
and gone from us forever. For Harlem is where he worked and where
he struggled and fought – his home of homes, where his heart was,
and where his people are – and it is, therefore, most fitting that
we meet once again – in Harlem – to share these last moments with
him.
For Harlem has ever been gracious to those who have loved her,
have fought for her and have defended her honor even to the death.
It is not in the memory of man that this beleaguered, unfortunate,
but nonetheless proud community has found a braver, more gallant
young champion than this Afro- American who lies before us –
unconquered still.
I say the word again, as he would want me to: Afro-American –
Afro-American Malcolm, who was a master, was most meticulous in his
use of words. Nobody knew better than he the power words have over
minds of men.
Malcolm had stopped being a "Negro" years ago. It had become too
small, too puny, too weak a word for him. Malcolm was bigger than
that. Malcolm had become an Afro-American, and he wanted – so
desperately – that we, that all his people, would become
Afro-Americans, too.
There are those who will consider it their duty, as friends of
the Negro people, to tell us to revile him, to flee, even from the
presence of his memory, to save ourselves by writing him out of the
history of our turbulent times.
Many will ask what Harlem finds to honor in this stormy,
controversial and bold young captain – and we will smile. Many will
say turn away – away from this man; for he is not a man but a
demon, a monster, a subverter and an enemy of the black man – and
we will smile. They will say that he is of hate – a fanatic, a
racist – who can only bring evil to the cause for which you
struggle! And we will answer and say to them:
Did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you ever touch him or
have him smile at you? Did you ever really listen to him? Did he
ever do a mean thing? Was he ever himself associated with violence
or any public disturbance? For if you did, you would know him.
And if you knew him, you would know why we must honor him:
Malcolm was our manhood, our living, black manhood! This was his
meaning to his people. And, in honoring him, we honor the best in
ourselves.
Last year, from Africa, he wrote these words to a friend: "My
journey," he says, "is almost ended, and I have a much broader
scope than when I started out, which I believe will add new life
and dimension to our struggle for freedom and honor and dignity in
the States.
"I am writing these things so that you will know for a fact the
tremendous sympathy and support we have among the African States
for our human rights struggle. The main thing is that we keep a
united front wherein our most valuable time and energy will not be
wasted fighting each other."
However we may have differed with him – or with each other about
him and his value as a man – let his going from us serve only to
bring us together, now.
Consigning these mortal remains to earth, the common mother of
all, secure in the knowledge that what we place in the ground is no
more now a man – but a seed – which, after the winter of our
discontent, will come forth again to meet us.
And we will know him then for what he was and is – a prince –
our own black shining prince! – who didn’t hesitate to die, because
he loved us so.
Other Black History Month sites:
Education First’s Black History Month Website
AFROlinks Black History Archive
A Deeper Shade
African Heritage Month
Black History and Culture
MIT celebrates Black History Month
HarperCollins Children’s Books
African American History
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