Malcolm X

Spike Lee not only had to make movies based on his own interpretations of his people but he also unintentionally, and later on would embrace, served an ethereal responsibility of how the person concerned ought be perceived by folks who’re, so to say, not in touch. He’s literally responsible for how millions of people see Malcolm X. It had to be precise, infuriating and beyond everything, beautiful and tragic. A human life before a black one. The idea of a black pimp doesn’t exist for Malcolm X. Not literally a romanticised black pimp but a black person in charge. It is, for him morally egregious to envision that reality, both him and Spike for that matter. Consequently Malcolm preached “all white men are devils” well ofc not all white men are devils but its a preaching and a preaching is like a Chinese whisper, you have to implement an extremist version for it to die down and be interpreted as “a lot of white men are devils” by black men and then later finally as “there are white men who happen to be devils” by the black and hopefully white folk. Individualism should be the final stage of a solution to any humanitarian problem not the starting point. It has never worked that way. There’s a scene where Malcolm before giving a speech against an all white audience tells an unprejudiced (self proclaimed) white woman “she can’t do anything to help”. Spike Lee’s interpretation of him, despite undergoing a demonstrative internal change himself, does not believe that white men can undergo that transition. It bothers me because its inherently a rejection of optimism but also I understand that no one’s at fault because you can afford that pessimism rightfully so as a black man. But it was only a matter of time until Spike denounced that idea and defeat is admitted by the minority as Malcolm X, tho inconclusively takes the step foward to a more peaceful approach. Spike asks and Malcolm affirms before his tragic death : Is it necessary to be objectively righteous for a black man to be great and how does it alter this person if he’s inherently disconnected from his history, not by his choice but by the manner and form of his upbringing, present and destiny. Amen !