Feb. 1, 2021
A Reality Check
Bro. Malcolm, Bro. Martin Stressed Need For Unity
By A. Peter Bailey
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - As we enter Black History Month 2021 it’s time for those who consider themselves Malcolmites and those who consider themselves Martinites have too often talked the talk but not walked the walk when honoring the legacies of the two great warriors in the war against white supremacy.
Fifty-six years after the assassination of Brother Malcolm and 53 years after the assassination of Brother Martin, we have done little, if anything, to follow their guidance about the crucial need for Black unity. In a 1963 letter to 8 civil rights leaders, including Brother Martin, Brother Malcolm wrote the following: “A united front involving all Negro factions, elements and their leaders is absolutely necessary...If capitalistic Kennedy and communistic Khrushchev can find something in common on which to form a united front despite their tremendous ideological differences, it is a disgrace for Negro leaders not to be able to submerge our ‘minor’ differences in order to seek a common solution to a common problem posed by a Common Enemy (emphasis his). On Saturday, August 10th from 1-7 p.m., the Muslims are sponsoring another giant outdoor rally at 116th Street and Lenox Avenue. There will be no debating, arguing criticizing or condemning...This rally is designed not only to reflect the spirit of unity but it also gives you a chance to present your views to the largest and most explosive elements in metropolitan New York.”
Brother Martin was equally forceful about the need for Black Unity. This is clear in the following excerpt from his 1967 book, "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?“....Too many Negro organizations are warring against each other with a claim to absolute truth....This plea for unity is not a call for uniformity. There must always be healthy debate. There will be inevitable differences of opinion....This form of group unity can do definitely more to liberate the Negro than any action of individuals (italics his). We have been oppressed as a group and we must overcome that oppression as a group.”
The strong appeal for Black Unity by Bro. Malcolm and Bro. Martin were ignored (except by the FBI) at the time. They are still basically being ignored, by most of us, as of Feb. 2021. If we continue to do so, especially those who consider ourselves Macolmites or Martinites, we will continue to be unworthy of the supreme sacrifice made by the two great warriors and other 20th century ancestors who fought in the war against white supremacy.