By David Jordan Jr

    On February 21, 1965, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, also known as Malcolm X, was assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom in the  Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The power of Malcolm’s words has multiplied in the sixty-one years since his death. His vision, his purpose, and his mission were not just ideas he shared with the world; he lived them in his everyday actions. The importance of wisdom, education, self-pride, unity, and economic independence was the message he preached to Black people across the world that had been undermined and mistreated since the inception of slavery in the United States of America. Malcolm prioritized others’ growth and intellectual development through his actions and words, continually reiterating the importance of education and its role in developing oneself further. As a young student, Malcolm had the goal of becoming a lawyer, but was ultimately deterred by teachers who told him he should become a carpenter or someone who works with his hands to make a living. His path to greatness was forged in prison, leading him to self-educate by reading numerous books and meticulously studying the dictionary. His oratorical skills were fully developed as he was part of the prison debate team, laying the foundation for him to become one of the greatest orators and speakers to have ever walked this earth.

 

“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today”.

Malcolm showed the world as a living example of the power of education. Education is a tool for any person in this world to empower and liberate themselves from the invisible constructs of a society. Today, in 2026, people of the world must seek liberation and mental empowerment to achieve their goals in totality and collectively, to make the world in which we live a better place for those here now and for the generations to come. February 21st is a day we remember the life of Malcolm X and the words he left us to serve as a guide and foundation for our lives.