Spike Lee's Malcolm X

      In the film Malcolm X, Spike Lee misleads viewers about the full nature of racism held by Nation of Islam. The Nation of Islam characters in the movie say that whites are "blue-eyed devils," but never revealed to viewers is the doctrine about whites being eliminated in racial Armageddon. Furthermore, Spike Lee did not limit the film's content to historical accounts, instead he chose to put in messages that push for revolution today. For example, while the movie begins with Denzel Washington, who played Malcolm X, giving a speech in which he denounces whites as "the number one murderer," the images of the Malcolm X character speaking in a 1960's setting are interspersed with flashes of images from the 1990's; in particular, images of Rodney King being beaten are shown. Also at the beginning, in between images of the King beating and of the Malcolm X character speaking, there are images of an American flag burning, and the meaning of the flag burning is spelled out at the end of the film. After the bulk of the movie ends, it having shown a historical account of the black Muslim's life, Nelson Mandela comes on as himself to speak about the need for blacks to be treated like human beings, and when Mandela says that "we intend to bring [such rights] into existence," Spike Lee cuts off Mandela's voice and image, replacing it immediately with the image of the real Malcolm X speaking and giving the following conclusion: "by any means necessary."

      Midway through the credits, a song comes on, called "Revolution," which is by a rap group that calls for revolution in its lyrics and that promotes black rappers who put out kill-the-whites messages. The group, Arrested Development, threatens revolution with images such as one that follows: "you don't want us to get a gun now do you?" Arrested Development not only puts out a call for revolution into the song, but the group's artists also use 1990's images to forward the call to current day. Furthermore, in the song, Arrested Development uses the title of a Malcolm X speech to threaten a race war. In particular, Arrested Development momentarily offers that "it's either 'The Ballot or the Bullet,'" but then revealed by the group is that the artists have chosen the latter option when they follow up with the following: "come now, revolution."

      In his "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech, Malcolm X proposed that black men should form a "black nationalist party," that they should arm themselves with "rifles and shotguns," that "[i]f it's necessary" they should form a "black nationalist army," and that if Malcolm X's definition of progress is not met, then they should choose to use bullets. The speech, chosen by Arrested Development for their song, was delivered in the spring of 1964, at a time before Malcolm X had countered Nation of Islam's belief about whites being annihilated in racial Armageddon, and in choosing such timing, Arrested Development possibly puts itself in alliance with Nation of Islam's doctrine about racial Armageddon. Arrested Development promotes 1990's rappers who churn out Nation of Islam doctrines, including the one about racial Armageddon. Malcolm X told blacks to form rifle clubs and to store up firearms.

      It is significant to note that many in the media today follow the notion that Malcolm X became a non-racist after his pilgrimage to Mecca in the summer of 1964. What is evident from his speeches that came after his pilgrimage, is that he no longer propounded Nation of Islam's doctrine about racial Armageddon. What many in the major media do not seem to consider, however, is that he continued threatening a race war, even after his pilgrimage, if his version of progress were not met. Additionally, it should be noted that although Malcolm X did see, after his pilgrimage, the possibility of working together with some whites, he threatened a race war for any whites who did not act in accordance with his definition of progress or with his time line for achieving it.

References
Malcolm X, directed by Spike Lee; 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks Production.

Quotes from "The Ballot or the Bullet" come from Malcolm X Speaks: Selected Speeches and Statements, Pathfinder Press, 1965, 1989.

Malcolm X telling blacks to start rifle clubs and to stock up firearms was taken from The Death and Life of Malcolm X by Pierce (pages 134, 154, 155), and also from the Pathfinder book Malcolm X Speaks (page 22).

Posted at http://home.att.net/~phosphor on July 5, 1999.

Last editing was posted July 23, 1999.

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