In my life, I’ve heard curated versions of Reverend Martin Luther King speeches and Malcolm X speeches. I’ve also been very fortunate to know a good number of people who were very well steeped in these speeches – the speeches and the philosophy, and the movements they spurred.
There are many theories about who killed these men, both considered by many to be martyrs of the Civil Rights Movement.
Malcolm X, dead at 56. Martin Luther King, dead at 53.
The facts and standard narrative of each of these men – their date of birth, their unjust arrests, tribulations, their basic philosophies, and the Standard Narrative of each are widely available.
Scholars smarter than I have delved deeply into their philosophy, politics and strategy.
One was suspected of being a Communist, the other sent a letter to the President of the United States stating that he was a Communist. One preached love and brotherhood, and the other has been accused of preaching racism and hate.
They’ve each been celebrated, eulogized, fictionalized, and canonized.
People like dead Black men for a number of reasons: They’re simplified, two dimensional, they’re controllable, and their legacy and stories can be used. For profit, for power, for political gain.
I didn’t create this image made famous during Summer of 2020, by people who worship dead Black men.
There’s another reason people like the graven images of dead fathers instead of real ones.
- They don’t tell you when you’re wrong.
- They don’t tell you to quit doing drugs, dressing like a whore, or acting like a fool.
- They don’t tell you how Blacks have been used by white liberals or the Democratic Party.
- They don’t preach the Baptist faith of the Muslim faith.
- They don’t tell you to be non-violent or self reliant.
- They don’t tell you that sticking meth and fentanyl up your ass and passing fake twenties to Black owned businesses will get your ass killed.
- They won’t tell you that anyone trying to disrupt the Black nuclear family needs to be shot.
Personally, I like living Black men. They’re much more complex, much more dynamic, and more valuable than their Narratives. Dead men are the ultimate victims, and when you drape your cause in their image, you are stealing their souls.
I see you.
I don’t always agree with the Black Men in my life, but I sure as hell give them a lot more respect than Black Feminists or the white activists who cheapen their legacy by chanting their names in social outings.
I’ve spent a lot of time learning about the faith of these men whose legacies you cheapen. I’ve spent a lot of time listening to their speeches, reading their interviews, and the words they’ve spoken.
If you’re going to use their images, you should too.
NOTE: Neither of these men would approve of your idolatry.
