Kinship in Babylon
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I'm still receiving, reflecting and meditating on the entire autobiography. I went to Boston twice for the first time, with last week finding myself in front of the home Malcolm lived in as a teenager in Roxbury. Which is where he first saw a dominant Black population in his life, and which he reflects on in the book, stating that this changed him forever. Kinship, Brotherhood, a sense of Belonging, are all important themes to this story. Having grown up in a majority white town and experiencing not only segregation but extreme forms of oppression on a daily basis was his norm until he saw Roxbury. And even then, with the warmth of kinship, it's still Amerikka or Babylon (to Rastafarians, Babylon is the modern reality, or system of corruption where we are all struggling. Babylon could signify the political state, the police, the church, or any corrupt or oppressive force). White supremacy still controls the climate and dynamics, even in majority Black spaces. This makes it hard to trust anyone or form real kinship ties. The ones Malcolm is able to make in his life are very long-lasting. People are living in survival mode. When Malcolm describes his time as a hustler, especially in Harlem, looking for his next fix and some money, he calls himself a predatory animal. In a concrete jungle, that's often the only way to survive. His switch in prison and then his connection with Islam change everything for him, not only due to his faith in Allah but because it's his kinship with Muslim brothers and sisters that he finds a source of comfort, and warmth that he could never find in the streets. He finds care, companionship, solidarity, resistance, faith, and purpose. That's why the end of his time with the Nation of Islam and the betrayal he experiences shakes him to the core. "The thing worse than death for me was betrayal" p.312. "My head felt like it was bleeding inside" p.311. "I felt as though something in nature had failed, like the sun, or the stars" p.311. Malcolm devoted himself entirely to Elijah and to the Nation. This goes to show how profound his need for kinship and purpose within his community was. His story also says a lot about the nature of power and men within such a society, where a Black man acting in good faith who gets power and respect is seen and treated as a threat. The truth will always be a threat in the face of moral decay. Malcolm X and his story is the epitome of truth. All future generations of freedom fighters should study him. I've been carrying the book around like it's the Quran or Bible. In my view it's one of the most relevant and important texts to carry. And by carry I don't simply mean the physical copy, but the energy and importance of it must be carried in our own mind, spirit and body. The Revolution requires it.