Malcolm X Was Born Today;
Watch Orlando Bagwell's
Comprehensive Doc
"Malcolm X: Make It Plain"
Today in history... May 19, 1925, Malcolm Little/Malcolm X/El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the 4th of 7 children to Earl Little and Louise Norton.
Of course, I'm sure we all know of Spike Lee's 1992 epic film based on the life of the man - a film that will rest among the nation’s treasures in the world’s largest archive of film, TV and sound recordings; just over a year ago, it was inducted for preservation in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.
And by the way, it's now officially on Blu-ray, finally released in that format earlier this year. So you can pick up a copy if you haven't yet. I have!
I'm not aware of any film events around the country that are scheduled to take place today to honor his birth (although it doesn't mean there aren't any). I recall last year, the Brecht Forum here in NYC screened Orlando Bagwell's 2 1/2 hour 1994 documentary Malcolm X: Make It Plain, narrated by Alfre Woodard - a film that paints a comprehensive portrait of Malcolm X - hustler, visionary, husband and father, dynamic orator and, after spending time in prison, Minister Malcolm, the fiery, eloquent spokesman for the Nation of Islam; and finally as El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, internationally recognized leader and advocate for oppressed peoples - loved and despised, revered and feared... until he was assassinated at the young age of 39.
The entire 2 1/2 hour film is on YouTube, split up into several parts, so you can watch it all there if you haven't already.