Malcolm X...By Any Means Necessary

By any means necessary is a translation of a phrase used by French intellectual Jean-Paul Sartre in his play Dirty Hands. It entered the popular civil rights culture through a speech given by Malcolm X at the Organization of Afro-American Unity founding rally on June 28, 1964. Malcolm X (May 19, 1925 - February 21, 1965) was an African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist. He was an advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans. Detractors accused him of preaching racism, black supremacy, antisemitism, and violence. He has been called one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history. As a spokesman for the Nation of Islam he taught black supremacy and advocated separation of black and white Americans. After breaking with the Nation of Islam and becoming a Sunni Muslim, he disavowed racism and expressed willingness to work with civil rights leaders. He was assassinated on February 21, 1965, as he prepared to address the Organization of Afro-American Unity in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom. According to the autopsy report, his body had 21 gunshot wounds. The three assassins were member of the Nation of Islam. He is credited with raising the self-esteem of black Americans and reconnecting them with their African heritage. Poster created by the Young Socialist Alliance (U.S.), circa 1965 and 1980

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