EDITORIAL 12
OCTOBER 5, 1992
1
Did Khalid X Help or Hurt the Cause?
Editor's note: This article is an
attempt by the Black Ink to address
the issue of the much talked about
Minister Khalid X who spoke at the
black cultural center's rally on
Friday, Sept. 18 in the Dean Smith
Center. It is necessary to speak on
this subject in this publication for
two reasons. First, because white
society has had a history of evaluat
ing black leaders without the input
of black people (Notice howM artin
Luther King, Jr. has been charac
terized as one of our good leaders
and Malcolm Xasa troublerruiker).
Secondly, we feel that it is impor
tant to create an open forum for
different ideas within the black com
munity. We know that on any given
issue, all black people do not feel
the same. Nevertheless, we are con
stantly reading in white publica
tions what “black students feel" as
if we all shared one mind. In the
two very different viewpoints on the
minister's Sept. 18 message. Our
hope is that the two opposing per
spectives will spark debate among
students, and that from that debate
each person will develop a stance
One Hand
Black people in America (and
on this campus in particular) have
been much too quiet for much too
long. What the term “quiet” indi
cates is not a shortage of words.
(Supporters of a free-standing black
culuiral center have been trying to
“negotiate” for years.) “Quiet” sig
nifies an immediate necessity for a
sequence of point-blank statements
and actions. We can’t expect to get
what we want if we can’t say what
we mean. It seems a bit strange that
at this hallowed institute of learn
ing, it would take someone from the
outside to bring this fact to light.
Minister Khalid Mohammed X
spoke the truth up on that stage, and
every single member of the audi
ence felt the vibe. “If the truth hurts,
then let it hurt!” It’s about time
somebody started steppin’ on some
toes.
anything and anyone that tries to
hold him down. A quick accusation
of racism and hate is an ignorant
listener’s only means of protecting
himself from the truth. Well... that
and a hangman’s noose. An edu
cated black person cannot help be
ing angry. The minister did an in
credible job of putting that feeling
into words, not one of them was
false. His soul-stirring message was
anything but racist, but it was defi
nitely long overdue.
There is a strong speculation that
Khalid Mohammed X’s speech has
spariced a loss of non-black support
in our fight for a free-standing Black
Cultural Center. The answer to this
is simple. An individual so easily
swayed by a half-hour discourse
was not truly devoted to the move
ment at all. A revolution has no
room for doubt. The minister cer
tainly laid some serious cards on the
are others, besides black studei
who see a need for it. Many stude
who were not black came to
BCC rally on Sept. 18. They ca
with the earnest intention of try
to learn what the movement was
about and decide whether or no
give their support. What they he
was a much applauded speaker cl
acterizing them as “crackers.” N
mind you. Minister Khj
Mohammed X was not the c
speaker; and those who spoke
fore him did very well. They
well because they were able to
ticulate the reasons why a BC
necessary and offer steps to tak
achieving that goal without aliei
ing potential non-black suppor
who did not deserve to be insul
The aspect of the minist
speech that was probably the n
detrimental to our cause was
hate that he preached. He sp
i I I
mmBm
following article, members of the
Black Ink stc^ would like to offer
on this issue based on his or her
own beliefs.
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Some misinformed critics have
called the man a racist They have
accused the good minister of preach
ing a message of hate. The fact is
that many of these very same stu
dent critics were not present to hear
the brother speak. But first of all,
let’s understand that this is nothing
outof the ordinary. Anytimeablack
man gets “tired” enough to stand up
and speak his mind, anytime black
people come together collectively
toward a goal, expect that every
fuiger will point and that every voice
will rise to tear that mo vement do wn.
All of this comes out of fear. When
it comes lo a discussion of racial
politics, whites are often frightened
away. Blacks, however, tend to get
angry; maybe white folks have a
reason to be afraid. All Khalid
Mohammed X did was say what
was in his heart. He said it plainly
and intelligently without diluting
his words into a petition of petty
grievances. That ’ s what scared some
people away—his frankness and his
knowledge, his awareness of him
self. The educated black man is the
most deadly weapon in the world
with the capability of destroying
table, and he did not water down
what crossed his lips. But if some
idea that he expressed was not en
tirely understood, that only serves
to reiterate the need to build a free
standing BCC.
“You can’tnegotiate upon freedom
nowadays... If you can ’ t fight for it,
then forget it”
—Malcolm X, 1965
The Other Hand
The speech given by Minister
Khalid Mohammed X at the BCC
rally was dangerous to our entire
cause. First of all, it had the unfor
tunate effectof alienating those non
black supporters of a free-standing
Black Cultural Center. This battle
that we are fighting—which is, in
essence, a battle to make blacks and
non-blacks aware of the richness of
African-American culture—must
include more than just black people.
It must include anyone who thinks
our cause is just whether they are
white or belong to some other mi
nority. The fact is that if we are to
achieve our goal of a free-standing
BCC, we must show the adminis
tration of this University that there
angrily of how the black man’s p
lem was “the goddamned w
man,” which had the effect —il
the intent—of pcHtraying all 'fs
men as our oppressors. Such
changes the character of our m^
ment from one trying to enlig
ourselves and others on the sul
of black culture, to one venting
rage on white people- even t
who don’t deserve it. But, wh
worse is the effect of vented a
and hatred on us, the black sup]
ers of a free-standing BCC.
anger and hatred serve no (
purpose but to deprive us ol
abihty to think, reason and t(
cide on effective courses of ac
In our fight for a free-stan
BCC, it has become evident th;
have the moral advantage, fo
cause and our intentions are
But we lose that advantage ot
rality if we turn this movemen
open season on “the white n
We will lose our battle for a
standing BCC and all other b;
for justice.