For anyone who believes that America is fighting for democracy in Iraq, Amiri Baraka has a different point of view. The controversial writer and political activist says the battle against oppression must first be won in America.
Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of the death of civil rights leader Malcolm X. To commemorate his death, International House showed the 1972 Academy Award-nominated documentary Malcolm X and invited Baraka, an author of black history and music, to speak. Baraka spoke at the funeral of the civil rights leader in 1965.
The movie portrayed Malcolm X's transition from opposing all whites to only fighting those who were members of white supremacy groups.
Baraka disagreed with some aspects of the movie, however, saying the activist's conversion to Islam in the film was "garbage." It was Malcolm's sister, not an experience in jail, that sparked his conversion to Islam, Baraka said.
Baraka implored students to study black history, telling them, "Don't come back just being able to quote some European writer."
Baraka also criticized many aspects of President Bush's policies, both domestic and foreign.
"Bush, how come all you call 'the axis of evil' are colored people?" Baraka asked.
While Baraka was impressed that Bush knew enough geography to point out that North Korea exists, he believes that the United States is much less likely to take any action against North Korea because, unlike Middle Eastern countries, North Korea is not inhabited by people of color.
He called the 2000 elections a 'coup' and said that the president could not "go to Iraq and talk about bringing democracy if he hasn't brought democracy to Philly." Baraka expressed discontent with what he believes is the oppression blacks still suffer in this country.
"They talk about checking elections in Venezuela and Iraq, and I tell them to go to Ohio," he said.
"It was Malcolm that [inspired] us to stand and fight back," Baraka said.
But "the people in the White House, those involved in Watergate, the CIA, crack and cocaine-dealing killed them," he said, referring to the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
Baraka's lecture seemed to provoke the audience to thought.
Justine Rector, a 1970 College graduate, believes that "the black system ... put the black people up to" the murder of Malcolm X.
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