ple think before voting, and vote wisely. He reached out to the same moderate civil rights leaders whom he had criticized for years.
His voice was no longer just a rallying cry for Americans, but Africans and others who saw him as their champion. Like any great leader, he updated his message without diluting it or removing its edge.
Consider the phrase he entered into the public discussion: "We declare our right on this earth to be a man, to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary"
Today, we can see it was a smart decision. The United States had switched its focus from the race issue to global concerns of the Vietnam War and President Lyndon Johnson's war on poverty.
Once again, Malcolm was ahead of the curve of most civil rights leaders - already adapting his message to the times without losing the boldness that defined his tenure with the Nation of Islam.
Had he not been assassinated, who knows how big his voice would have become? We can see glimpses in how his protÃ©gÃ©, Muhammad Ali, defied the U.S. government by resisting being drafted to fight in Vietnam.
Imagine if Malcolm was right there supporting him and forcing people to question the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. What would he have said in the 1970's and 1980's as Black communities suffered due to the influx of drugs and community organizations under siege?
Hip-hop has made his voice live again in a new generation, as groups like Public Enemy and X-Clan brought back a Black consciousness.
Malcolm X was a self-made leader. With direction, he learned while he was in prison and by the Nation of Islam, he spoke to many Black people who shared his upbringing and White people who were amazed at his eloquence even if they disagreed with his views. He was a voracious reader.
With all this being said and taken into account, there are those who might ask 'Why do Blacks insist on embracing a man, who some claim, was a fanatic and a rabble-rouser?' or 'How could the Black community revere someone who taught hate?'
The answer is because very rarely does a person who speaks their mind without any reservation make it to a radio station or to a television broadcast, or even a lectern for that matter. Their words usually stay within the confines of small social circles like dinner-table conversation, or small talk amongst friends at the grocery store.
Malcolm on the other hand, was one of the few Black men who managed to voice his message via radio, television, live and in person.
This is not the only reason why we honor his memory, but also because he protected us. He was our big brother who we unleashed upon White America to do our fighting for us. He was our guardian who watched over us and kept White America honest.
Last but not least, he was the faithful Night Watchman, who dutifully patrolled the impoverished Black communities of Harlem, New York and throughout Black America, with the street savvy and urban poise of an alley cat, tempered with the keen intellect of a learned scholar.
Indeed he was the genuine-article, the champion of Black self-improvement. With his birthday having passed us by, we can see how he still teaches and inspires many to be better and not accept less than satisfactory conditions within our own communities.