A Tornado, Wrestling Legends, and Malcolm X at 100
A Weekend in St. Louis
Some of my readers are local St. Louisans. Most are not. Some have never even been to St. Louis. In fact, I've had several people tell me that they'd never even heard of St. Louis before reading my work!
For those unaware, a tornado tore through St. Louis this past Friday. There was damage to Forest Park, Clayton, and University City; but the overwhelming damage and loss of life has been on the west and north sides of the city. These also happen to be the lowest income neighborhoods of St. Louis and some of the poorest in the nation.
The north side now looks like a war zone. Streets I've driven on for decades now are barely passable and filled with debris. Homes are demolished. Cars are crushed. Roofs have been blown away. Porches collapsed. Century old trees torn from the root.
The challenge today is helping those who have been impacted with cleaning up efforts, food, and shelter while guarding against predatory individuals. Numerous organizations have risen to the occasion and thousands of volunteers have stepped up. There are several different centers coordinating efforts from their respective organizations.
The bigger challenge is in the future. North St. Louis has been losing population for decades and the city is losing Black population at a rapid rate. Given that this tornado struck at the heart of the Black community of St. Louis City it's difficult to imagine this process won't be accelerated. The political fight will be over how the north side gets rebuilt and for who? Congressman Wesley Bell, former Mayor Tishaura Jones, Treasurer Adam Layne, the Black Caucus at the Board of Aldermen, State Rep Marty Joe Murray, , other Black elected officials, churches, nonprofits, and community organizations will be crucial to this effort. And the city sure could use a man like the late great Freeman Bosley Sr. at this moment, who passed away last week.
Important questions will also have to be answered. Did the warning sirens actually sound on Friday? If they didn't sound, who dropped the ball? Does the administration of our new mayor have the necessary relationships north of Delmar to mount an effective response?
If you're able to do so please volunteer your time and money to relief efforts.
Wrestling Reunion
This weekend I was able to attend Fanfest from SICW Wrestling and Herb Simmons. On Friday night legendary pro wrestling journalist Bill Apter led a fans Q and A session with Abdullah the Butcher, Tito Santana, the Rock n’ Roll Express, and others. On Saturday Gerry Brisco, Greg “the Hammer” Valentine, Nikita Koloff, David Schultz, Missy Hyatt, Baby Doll, B. Brian Blair, and others joined. The weekend was topped off by live wrestling from a young generation of wrestling performers.
I took my wife to the wrestling matches. She was previously unfamiliar with pro wrestling and this was her first time. When a heel got on the mic and called everyone in St. Louis idiots and the women overweight she remarked “that man is not polite”. Having seen me watch a ton of college and international freestyle and Greco wrestling on TV, as well as MMA, she caught on by the end of the night. “I think this is just acting”. She even said this is I pointed out to her the pious Muslim heels!
Malcolm X at 100
I just finished the The Afterlife of Malcolm X: An Outcast Turned Icon's Enduring Impact on America by Mark Whitaker and I will add this to my Malcolm syllabus. This book deals with the impact Malcolm had on others after his death and discusses major Black political figures, social movements, Spike Lee, rappers, and more. The only Sunni Muslims to get mentioned, other than those either involved in, or suspected of the murder of Malcolm, are Imam W.D. Mohammed and researcher and Who Killed Malcolm X figure Abdur-Rahman Muhammad.
I've said for a long time that Malcolm is like Jesus- everyone claims him. Everyone believes that had he lived he would’ve evolved into their position. Black Nationalists, Pan Africanists, communists, Socialists, fundamentalist Sunnis, Salafis, the community of Imam W.D. Mohammed, Shia, Black conservatives, Republicans, the list is endless. People from all of these strains have written that Malcolm inspired them to embrace their positions.
The truth of the matter is we don't know what would've happened had Malcolm lived. We don't know where his politics or religion would've ended up. I've long believed that most Muslims have a parochial, simple-minded, and tribalistic view of Malcolm and only embrace his Muslim parts. Malcolm is bigger than that. My personal read is that, upon his death, Malcolm had a firm political and social vision and his religion took less of a priority and his theology was rapidly evolving.
The spirit of Malcolm is reinvention. Searching for truth and self improvement and not being afraid to speak your mind. Not being afraid to admit you were wrong. Not being afraid of death. I have a friend who was once a hardcore Salafi Muslim, made hajj, and gave many people shahadah during his thirty years as a Muslim. His own Shahadah was inspired by reading Malcolm. He recently converted to Catholicism. In him, I don’t see an apostate, I see the spirit of Malcolm. Just as I see the spirit of Malcolm with many activists, the Muslim convert who goes through several phases and manifestations searching for the truth, the Jewish baal teshuva, the Latin Mass Trad who questions their parish and Vatican II, and the elected official who defies party and ideology. Conversely, I also see the spirit of Malcolm in those disillusioned by both religion and politics and decides to chart their own path.
I read Malcolm as a high school student and then found the masjid. That's where he led me. I quickly learned that the Hajj story of universal Muslim brotherhood as told in the autobiography was largely a fiction and Muslims are as messed up as anyone else. But, as someone always attracted to social conservativism, FDR New Deal politics, and supporting Black political power in America, I think the messages of Malcolm I could find supporting those things resonated the most with me. That got me in the door and once in the house I found more rooms and floors. Some good, many bad.
If you're continuing to explore the legacy of Malcolm I suggest that you take the Malcolm X tour by New York Narratives and Brother Asad while visiting the city where Malcolm’s legacy was cemented. You can also invite Abdur-Rahman Muhammad of Who Killed Malcolm X to come and speak to your community.
My Malcolm X syllabus:
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
by Alex Haley and Malcolm X
Pro: a canonical book in American history that has inspired millions.
Con: much of the book is Malcolm doing his own PR and shaping the narrative for his post-NOI existence. Alex Haley posthumously ending the book with Malcolm having his pro Civil Rights and integrationist politics via the Hajj story.
Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention
Book by Manning Marable
Pro: Academic and extremely well researched. Separates a lot of fact from fiction and you get to see how the sausage is made. Malcolm was just a man and had his struggles and this book makes that clear.
Cons: Like Haley, Marable gives the impression that Malcolm was evolving towards his personal politics. A liberal early Obama Era sense of a post-racial America (that trend didn't last long). There are also a couple of items included in the book that appear to have not been properly sourced.
The Dead Are Arising
by Les Payne and Tamara Payne
Pros: This book is extremely well-written and contains many interviews with people who knew Malcolm and some new information.
Cons: None
Malcom Before X by Patrick Parr
Pros: You learn a lot about Malcom's time in the streets, his childhood, and the lives of his parents and ancestors. Parr separates fact from fiction and addresses some of the mistakes in the autobiography
Cons: I don't think some of the Little family folklore would stand the scrutiny of a genealogist.
Note- I haven’t read the Peter Goldman book but plan to.
Film
Malcom X
Directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington and Angela Bassett
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Who Killed Malcolm X on Netflix
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You can listen to my latest podcast discussion with Father Augustine Wetta below
I’ve been largely out of touch with the news due to some personal issues I’ve been dealing with. So I was totally oblivious finding out about the tornado in St. Louis. This Substack is one of the few outlets to the outside world I’ve been keeping up with. Our hearts and prayers should go out to those impacted.
Regarding Malcolm, good point about how he’s claimed by many (often divergent) groups. But I believe what remains universal — beyond religious or political views — was his commitment to uplift those most vulnerable and marginalized. All of us who “claim” Malcom should incorporate that same ethos in our families, faith, and the communities we live in.
On a personal note, my interest in prison outreach was inspired by Malcolm as well. Initially my mission was laser focused on spreading Islam in prison. Over time, I found that the biggest benefit is to inspire hope and moral reform — regardless of what spiritual tradition the individual chooses.l Perhaps that was my “Malcolm moment”.
Did any of the wrestling legends make appearances on the live show?