Res. No. 332
Resolution commemorating the 79th birthday of Malcolm X on May 19th, 2004.
By Council Members Perkins, Baez, Barron, Clarke, Lopez, Palma, Sanders, Seabrook, Serrano, Vann, Jackson, Stewart, Gonzalez, Liu, Monserrate and Martinez
Whereas, Malcolm X is one of America’s leading figures in the movement for Black liberation in the United States and was active in the civil rights movement during the 1960’s; and
Whereas, Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska to Louisa Norton Little and Earl Little, a Baptist Minister who’s outspoken civil rights activism prompted death threats from the white supremacist organization Black Legion forcing Malcolm’s family to relocate twice before Malcolm’s fourth birthday; and
Whereas, Malcolm X excelled in school and graduated Junior High School at the top of his class and was discouraged from pursuing his desire to become a lawyer by a teacher who told him that becoming a lawyer was “no realistic goal for a ni----er” destroying Malcolm’s interest in school; and
Whereas, Malcolm fell into a life of crime and was sentenced to seven years in prison in 1946 and used this time to further his education and to study the teachings of Nation of Islam (NOI) leader Elijah Muhammad; and
Whereas, By the time Malcolm was paroled in 1952 he was a devoted follower of the NOI and had adopted a new name, Malcolm X; and
Whereas, Malcolm X was appointed a minister and national spokesman for the NOI and was responsible for the establishment of new mosques in cities across the United States including Mosque No. 7 in Harlem, New York; and
Whereas, Malcolm X grew further in his faith and went on a religious pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia in 1964 and returned to the United States having adopted the name of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and preaching a message of unity to all races; and
Whereas, At a speaking engagement in the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem on February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was shot 15 times and was pronounced dead at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital at the age of 39 and was funeralized at the Faith Temple Church of God In Christ in Harlem on February 27, 1965 where over 1500 mourners attended his funeral; and
Whereas, Malcolm X is a symbol of courage and strength and is recognized as a hero to many Americans; and his widow, Dr. Betty Shabazz, continued his tradition of supporting social justice and educational excellence; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York commemorates May 19th, 2004 as Malcolm X’s 79th birthday.
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