Dr Martin Luther King V Malcolm X: the past still part of the present

Birmingham’s Black art centre the Drum was an ideal venue for a discussion that rightly applauded the achievements of these two Black political icons, but it also exposed the polarised views about if and how Black Britain can achieve equality. All this in a week in which equality for Black communities became centre stage during a dramatic debate in the House of Commons.First the philosophies of these two exceptional individuals. Interestingly Rev Dr Martin Luther King took his philosophy from the non-Christian beliefs of Mahatma Gandhi in India. Gandhi’s non violent revolution easily transferred to King’s Christian belief that to ‘turn the other cheek’ and ‘love thy enemy’ would eventually overcome prejudice and injustice.Whether it was from the pulpit or at mass demonstrations King lyrically spoke with a passion and purpose that implored white America to search its soul and tackle racism whilst inspiring Black America that their dignity and righteousness would eventually ‘overcome’.But King was much more than rhetoric and imploring America to soul search. The economic bus boycott, and the voter registration programmes were all aimed at challenging the American social and political status by forcing change.In sharp contrast Malcolm X the son of a Baptist Minister who had turned to the Nation of Islam eloquently gave voice for an angry Black America, by stating ‘you hit me I’ll hit you back twice as hard’.Malcolm X’s refusal to rule out violence with the chilling phrase, ‘By any means necessary’ was more than a little misleading. Achieving his social and political goals by, for example, murdering school children-as other political groups have done- was never an option for Malcolm or the Nation of Islam.Their acceptance of the use of violence was in response and in contrast to Dr King´s overt non-violent protest, but importantly only ever in the context of self defence. Nevertheless, during his early days within the Nation, Malcolm’s firebrand rhetoric that accused white people of being devils coupled with his acceptance of violence ensured he became white America’s public enemy No.1.He frightened white America and yet inspired much of Black America in the way the Black Nationalist Marcus Garvey had done a generation before.For the sake of the Radio 4 debate I accepted that the teams would emphasise the merits of their icon more than the other, but I also thought that 21st Century Black activists would have the political and philosophical luxury to elicit what we saw as the best of these two great minds and converge their ideas for a modern day approach. How wrong I was.Dismissing the voter registration efforts of Operation Black Vote and other Black groups that attempt to work within the political system Dr Adi argued that it was pointless engaging within a democratically flawed system that would only ever work against achieving Black social justice.The public’s inability to force the Government not to go war with Iraq was cited as a clear example of how society in general, much less a minority community could affect political change. What was needed, he continued was governance such as Fidel Castro’s Cuba that had afforded all its people good health and education. Consolidating Dr Adi’s ideas Toyin added that the only possible way Africans in the UK and around the world could be free was through ‘revolution’.It would have been easy to sink into a sense of hopelessness. After all the social, political and economic inequalities Dr Adi and Toyin spoke about were essentially true. Where we parted company was the solution.In one poignant moment during the debate that seemed to capture the polarity of the two teams came when Dr Adi reminded the audience that Malcolm X had found books, his roots and his destiny whilst serving a prison sentence. Rev Muir countered that his five daughters did not need a custodial sentence to find books, roots or their positive destination in life.A ‘quiet revolution’ Muir argued can and is taking place with Black individuals becoming teachers, magistrates, councillors, and good parents. I agreed, arguing whilst Dr Adi and Toyin had fanciful ideas about a glorious, perhaps bloody revolution, Rome or in our case Brixton, Birmingham, and beyond socially burns.Like our Radio 4 adversaries Dr Adi and Toyin, we are all desperate to live in a society that is free from racism. But unlike them Black Britain does not have the luxury, or perhaps the desire to wait for an African style Che Guevara or Fidel Castro to topple the British Government. Furthermore, the Cuban social revolution they held up as a possible model for Black Britain has done little to bring about racial justice despite the many social benefits in Castro’s Cuba.In the absence of any political coup, Cuban or otherwise British race equality will depend on the tireless efforts of Black communities to force political and economic change.Although today’s Black communities do not face a state governed that includes Ku Klux Klan members as did King and Malcolm our task is no less formidable. Our own government showed just over a week ago in the House of Commons they could and would ignore Black Britain’s plea to ensure tackling race inequality remained a priority.During the Equality debate to set up the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, veteran Black MP’s Diane Abbott and Keith Vaz argued with great skill and oratory for the Government to set up a statutory race committee and ensure there will be Black commissioners, as the Government had done for the disability lobby. They Government refused. The danger with this colour-blind approach to equality could be disastrous for Black people.It is absurd if not dangerous to think that 15 commissioners, who, in all probability will be almost all white, will now set the agenda for what they see as equality priorities for Black Britain.For me bringing Dr Martin Luther King, Malcolm X into a Black British context was an interesting and useful exercise. What becomes abundantly clear is that if Black individuals repeatedly see no justice, no success from engaging and participating within main stream democracy then they become vociferously apposed to it. The ultimate danger of their alienation has become all too clear over the last few years with a growing number of British born African, Caribbean and Asian men signing up to political extremism.History tells us that nothing is inevitable. Individuals such as Dr King and Malcolm X both transformed racist America. Closer to home we can empower and we can avoid extremism but not without collaboration and consensus between government and Black communities.