From: slzm9@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
Subject: Malcolm X's sex life, MLK and Caucasion Idolization
Date: 7 Sep 92 17:26:20 MDT
Organization: Utah State University



   Does it matter if a man named Malcolm X had a homosexual
encounter with a black or a white man?
   On one hand it does not matter because it was the legacy of self-
determination that was important about Malcolm X's life. Who
he fucked, for money or for free, has nothing to do with that. Why
can't people quit worrying about people's sex lives long enough
to see the point? ... I don't know.
   On the other hand if Malcolm X made some money as a prostitute
from a white man was does it mean? Could it mean that Malcolm X
saw the sexual encounter as a way of making money and realized
sex was a meaningless nothing compared to what he was trying
to accomplish in his life?  It could mean that a lot of young black
men might stop idolizing him. That I think would be a good thing.
Malcolm X stood for something very good - self determination. Today
we might call it self empowerment. But a man needn't be an idol
to accomplish his message. These yound black people need to get
PAST idolization and get to doing something to change the society
in which we all live. Work at an ethical job, vote, volunteer to help
an unwed mother rebuild her home in the hood that was destroyed by
fire, there are a million other things that are positive that they
could do. Malcolm didn't sit around brooding and talking about "killing
jack, and taking back what's ours" he acted, almost always in a non-
violent way. Political action, social action, personal action 
but he was moving people NOT killing them. That I think is the message
that Spike Lee and most young black people wearing "X" caps and 
t-shirts have missed.


What the hell is wrong with white people idolizing Martin Luther King?

   Martin Luther King was a man that had a strong faith. He conveyed that
into a course of action that assisted the USA into one of the strongest
acts of Civil Rights (Act of 1964) legislation ever enacted. He routinely
stood up for people that were surpressed, racially, economically,
and socially. MLK did not ask white people that showed up to walk
for surpressed people to "not join in." Martin Luther King worked for
people, not for blacks, or African-Americans, or whites, or asians ...
for PEOPLE. Everyone has the same inalienable rights, to be protected
from physical harm and death by the society in which they live for example.
Read closely - EVERYONE has the SAME inalienable RIGHTS. It was this
injustice he fought against that some had rights others didn't have.
   This was the vision of a great man. But it was a vision for ALL
people, not for african-americans alone. To feel uncomfortable at
a civil rights celebration, or a concert, or anywhere about reaffirming
this vision with people (of any color, nationality, political view,
economic resources, or anything) is a mistake that MLK himself would
have pointed out to you. So the next time it is possible to celebrate
this wonderful vision with others: close your eyes, dream that it can
become a reality, open them and get to work to realize the dream.
And if someone asks you what you think about U2, PE, and the Disposable
Heroes touring together say, "One more small reason to hope that it
is true that one day we will live out this country's creed."

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up,
 and live out  the true meaning of its creed:
'we hold these truths to be self-evident,
 that all men are created equal.' "

					-Martin Luther King


Peace, but not without justice,

Zip