New Malcolm X documentary unearths riveting footage of legendary leader
The minister's words still live on today.
Today marks the 53rd anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X...
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Today marks the 53rd anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X.
The iconic civil rights leader and activist defined what it means to be unapologetically Black.
A new documentary, THE LOST TAPES: Malcolm X, explores what happened on February 21, 1965, when three men shot the minister dead at the Audubon Theatre and Ballroom in Harlem, New York. The doc also details the philosophical changes he underwent in final years of his life.
The documentary features rarely seen footage of Malcolm X, unfiltered and without talking heads or narrators– using the words of Malcolm, vintage media reports and witnesses to tell the story.
“It’s because our effort to get straight to the root that people oft times think we’re dealing in hate,” Malcolm says in one powerful clip where he gives a speech. “We are oppressed. We are exploited. We are denied not only civil rights, but human rights.”
One of the most famous parts of his speech, “Who Taught You To Hate Yourself,” rings particularly powerful today:
Who taught you to hate the texture of your hair? Who taught you to hate the color of your skin to such extent that you bleach to get like the white man? Who taught you to hate the shape of your nose? And the shape of your lips? Who taught you to hate yourself, from the top of your head to the soles of your feet?
Who taught you to hate your own kind? Who taught you to hate the race that you belong to? So much so that you don’t want to be around each other?
At a time when we’re celebrating the impact of black representation on the big screen and mainstream through movies and film, Malcolm’s words are a stunning reminder of what happens when we don’t have images of ourselves to embrace.
His call to action for black people was an exercise in self-love, which was beyond revolutionary.
Watch the full clip below and catch the premiere THE LOST TAPES: Malcolm X Monday, February 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the Smithsonian Channel.
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