the most important book i ever read? yeah, probably. the big thing here is to take the influence and rage and inspiration that the book has brought up in you and transform that into the actions that can make a dent in the system we struggle against. it's too easy to be "moved" without actually moving, you know?

i learned many lessons from malcolm's book, his speeches and his writings... i felt challenged to take myself and my beliefs more seriously, i discoved the need to bring dicipline into my life. i felt validated in my anger, and hopeful that this is a fight that can be won.

but most importantly, i was left thinking about *how* it can be won, recognizing that changes in *me* are not enough alone. i thought more and more about the need to organize people around these issues... that our ability to win anything depends on our ability to organize. Malcolm's ability to move people, not just emotionally, but into action is one thing that continually amazed me. contrary to what one earlier poster said, i don't believe that Malcolm ever "converted" from black nationalism. he did however change his analysis to one of class struggle. the battle for liberation in this nation and across the world, he argued, will ulitimately be fought on class lines. but in a country so buried in racist history and our current institutionalized racism used as a tool (if not *the* major tool) to protect the privilage and power of those at the top, then effective class organizing cannot occur without addressing the immediate race issues. the power dynamics that exist between blacks and whites of even the working class and poor cannot be ignored in our effort to work together, and so he carried on with organizing specifically black organizations. and the panthers grew out this same outlook; organizing in the black community but organizing *for* the liberation and selfdetermination of all working people.

***
anyway, i don't know exactly where i'm going with this. maybe just to offer another angle on the whole "inspired by malcolm x" discussion. i've spent the last few years now as a union and community organizer on the south side and south suburbs of chicago, so i'm biased on this maybe... but for me the view of Malcolm as Organizer is what gets me going.

as a side note, there is a book by published by pathfinder press (i think) of Malcolm X's final speachs, most given within the final few months and weeks of his life. he speaks to youth groups, unions and college students and does a beautiful job of articulating some of the ideas of the black nationalist/socialist direction he was taking at the end of his life.
also, anyone who has never *heard* Malcolm X speak needs to asap. reading his speachs does not do them justice. he was amazing, to say the least. i have never seen the movie (don't yell at me! i never get around to watching movies) so i don't know how ggod a job they do at recreating it. look around, you may be able to find some cds that are recordings of him, i'm not sure. i have a number of old records of him, though and if anyone really wanted you could email me and we could tape them.

peace. mm.

"That's the problem with you people. You do too much singing! today we stop singing and start swinging!"