'WE ARE NOT AMERICAN'

Malcolm X would have turned 99 today. It’s as good excuse as any to revisit this gem of a clip. In it, X explains why it is so vital that “so-called Negros” in the US identify as AFRICANS.

It’s part of his famous 1964 ‘Ballot or Bullet’ speech, in which he argued that voting rights are a potent weapon if exercised right - and that unity amongst Africans in America can be leveraged to force politicians to accept their demands and agenda once in office.

However, despite his rhetoric, he was also sceptical about whether the electoral process could really bring about genuine racial justice for Africans in America.

His speech was made in the same year as his trips to Africa, which gave him a greater understanding of the need to internationalise the struggle and connect it to the independence of continental Africans.

Do you think Africans in America have a real chance of achieving their aims through elections in the US today, or do X’s words still ring true?