Widely celebrated as a vocal advocate for Black empowerment during the Civil Rights Movement, Malcolm X was also viewed as a controversial figure accused of preaching racism and violence. In this episode of the Second Draft Project, John Quincy Broadway and Sangmin Kim revisit the legacy of Malcolm X: the man, the myth, and his movement. Who was he? Why were people taught to be afraid of him? How did our media landscape fail to respect him and his impact? Tuning in, you’ll hear from other Black Muslims, historic members of the Black Panther Party, USC students, vendors at Leimert Park, and many others about the role that the press plays in shaping the image of revolutionaries and how some of the radical ideas that Malcolm X championed continue to inspire people today. We also offer some insight into the Second Draft Project and its mission to revise the “first draft of history,” which has often painted influential people of color in a negative light.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How US news organizations painted Malcolm X’s words and actions in a negative light.
• Why Ilyasah Shabazz believes her father was portrayed as a controversial figure.
• Bobby Seale’s take on the ways that Malcolm X influenced the Black Panther Party.
• Malcolm X’s view of the role of the press in shaping the image of an incident or people.
• Comments on Malcolm’s legacy from Black street vendors in Leimert Park.
• What Huey P. Newton and John Bunchy Crear have to say about Malcolm’s impact.
• How Second Draft Project revises biased media representations of individuals in history.
• Some of the ways that Lora King and Ilyasah Shabazz continue their fathers’ legacies.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz

Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz on X

Rasheed Shabazz

Oakland Voices

Maynard Institute for Journalism Education

Revolutionary Suicide

Charlotta Bass Journalism and Justice Lab

Dr. Allissa V. Richardson

Jameela Hammond

Jameela Hammond on X

Second Draft Project

John Quincy Broadway on LinkedIn

Sangmin Kim on LinkedIn