Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy Now 20150223

My style of governance, which would be to be strong and compassionate. The battle between a democrat known as mayor 1 , rahm emanuel and a host of challengers has reached a fever pitch in chicago ahead of tuesdays mayoral election. We will speak with Rick Perlstein chicagobased reporter, author of how to sell off a city. Then this weekend memorials are the 50th anniversary of the assassination of malcolm x. We will speak with his daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz. The history of unpunished violence against our people indicates we must be prepared to defend ourselves or we will continue to be a defenseless people at the mercy of a ruthless and violent racist mob. And now with so many injustices happening, with people saying, yes black lives matter too, we get to revisit oh, here was this man who actually reacted to the violence that was perpetrated against his people. And he wasnt a man of violence. By far, he was a man of integrity, a man of courage impeccable integrity. Malcolm xs daughter Ilyasah Shabazz will join us in studio. Her oped in the New York Times headlined, what would malcolm x think . All that and more coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine remains in limbo one week after it came into effect. The Ukrainian Military says it cannot withdraw heavy weaponry from the front line because of continued rebel violence. The rebels took the strategic town of debaltseve last week several days after the truce began, but deny carrying out further attacks. On sunday, two people were killed when a bomb hit a rally in kharkiv marking the oneyear anniversary of the killing of demonstrators in the maidan protests that topped president toppled president viktor yanukovych. The ukraine government says its arrested four suspects tied to russia. Thousands also marched in kiev while a parallel rally was held in moscow to denounce the maidan anniversary. Despite the continued unrest fighting has stopped in several areas and the Ukrainian Military and rebels have exchanged dozens of prisoners. The top u. N. Envoy on syria is in damascus today in a bid to halt the governments bombing of aleppo. Staffan de mistura said last week he had received assurances from the regime of Bashar Alassad to stop attacks on aleppo for up to six weeks. If implemented, it could be one of the most significant diplomatic breakthroughs of syrias fouryear civil war. Mistura will go on to turkey in a bid to secure an agreement with opposition leaders, who have not yet signed on. Over the weekend, Turkish Forces carried out a raid inside syria to rescue a group of its soldiers guarding an ancient tomb. Meanwhile, a new tally says u. S. Led strikes against the Islamic State in syria have killed more than 1,600 people since they began five month ago. The syrian observatory for human rights claims most of the dead were isil fighters, but at least 62 civilians were also killed. United nations investigators probing war crimes in syrias civil war say theyre considering publishing the names of suspects responsible for atrocities. Panel chair Paulo Pinheiro accused both the Syrian Government and Islamic State insurgents of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Not only being perpetrated by the two terrorist groups as the council has to find the socalled isis and nusra, but important not to forget the human rights violations, war crimes, crimes against humanity committed by forces another nonstate armed groups to be present in the conference. One of the leading activists in egypts 2011 revolution has been sentenced to five years in prison. Alaa abd elfattah received the term in a retrial following an original sentence of 15 years. He was accused of inciting a 2013 protest that broke a law barring public gatherings without government approval. Elfattah has been imprisoned multiple times since playing a key role in the protests that toppled Hosni Mubarak four years ago, missing the birth of his child and, more recently, the death of his father. As the verdict was read today, elfattahs family and friends wept in the courtroom and shouted, down with military rule. The u. S. And iran have resumed highlevel talks in a bid to reach a nuclear deal before a march 31st deadline. Secretary of state john kerry is meeting with iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad zarif in geneva. The talks for the first time have included top u. S. And iranian officials on energy and nuclear issues, to work out the Technical Details of an agreement that would curb Irans Nuclear program and impose international monitoring. Both sides say they have no plans to extend the talks a second time after initially missing a deadline in november. The Obama Administration meanwhile is reportedly , withholding details of the talks from israeli counterparts over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus effort to undermine an agreement. White House Press Secretary josh earnest said israel has spread false information about the negotiations. Donations to rebuild gaza from a devastating israeli assault this summer have fallen fall short of fallen far short of the amounts pledged. While countries around the world vowed to give over 5 billion to help gaza rebuild, the humanitarian news service irin reports only 5 of the pledges have come in. Last month, the United Nations relief and works agency said it had run out of funding for repairs and rental subsidies in gaza. Meanwhile, a new report has confirmed hundreds of Palestinian Civilians were killed in israeli airstrikes on homes during the summer bombardment. The Associated Press found that of the more than 800 palestinians killed in israeli airstrikes on homes, over 60 were civilians, and just 11 were confirmed or suspected militants. The United Nations has reported nearly 2,200 palestinians were killed in the assault overall, the vast majority civilians. The Islamic State has taken responsibility for a Suicide Attack that killed at least 40 people and wounded dozens more in libya. Fridays bombing came days after egypt launched strikes on the isis affiliate in northern libya following the beheadings of 21 egyptian nationals. Greece has reached a deal with european creditors to extend a Financial Rescue package for up to four months. The new government sought the agreement as part of its bid to undo the austerity demands of its international bailout. Greek finance minister called the move the first step in a long journey. Today we have found partners amongst those who, up until recently, looked at us with suspicion. There are some partners still better looking at us with suspicion. This is our challenge to win over their trust. And we intend to do this. This is only the very first step on a long journey. Long journeys have to commence with a step. The extension will be formally ratified after greece summits a list of Economic Reforms today. The u. S. Says it is mulling new punitive actions against venezuela following the arrest of an opposition mayor. The america rockets was detained last week in indicted for what venezuelan government called a u. S. Backed coup plot, rejecting venezuelas claims josh earnest said the u. S. Is not interfering in venezuela, but then said it is considering new actions to steer its government in a different direction. The fact is, the venezuelan government should stop trying to blame the United States and other members for events inside venezuela. The venezuelan government needs to deal with the great situation it faces. The u. S. Is not promoting unrest in venezuela, nor are we attending to undermine then as well as economy or its government. I contain the Treasury Department and the state department are closely monitoring the situation and are considering tools that may be available that could better steer the venezuelan government and the direction they believe they should be headed. In response, the venezuelan president said the u. S. Has no right to change venezuela policies and appealed for global solidarity. I call on all brother governments of latin america and the caribbean. I am calling on all our brothers and sisters in latin america and the caribbean. This is the moment for solidarity with the venezuelan people who are being attacked by the government of the United States. No witches stay quiet in the face of this aggression. No one should say quite in the face of the aggression. What are the tools being considered by the u. S. . More economic war. What about the tools to move is in any direction they please . Who says the u. S. Government has any authority to move in as well in any way in this world . In the United States, a federal judge has blocked the Obama Administrations. The tension of Central Americans fleeing violence at home. Amidst an influx of Asylum Seekers honduras, guatemala, and el salvador, the Obama Administration has been jailing women ensler and in socalled Family Detention Centers were immigrants have reported prisonlike conditions. On friday, u. S. District judge James Bos Berg placed the policy on hold pending a full hearing saying it causes irreparable harm while the administration has presented little purple evidence, he said, editors further immigration. While officials have justify the policy by arguing an ongoing influx of immigrants could threaten national security, the judge ruled the incantation of the magic Word National security without further substantiation is simply not enough to justify significant deprivations of liberty. The aclu filed a case on behalf of mothers and children, they say, that have fled from extreme violence, rape and death threats. Attorney said x like the women and children will be released from detention beginning this week. The Somali Militant Group alshabaab has issued a threat to attack minnesotas mall of america as it did kenyas Westgate Shopping Center in 2013. The mall says it has tightened security in response. One of the top scientist involved in denying Climate Change has failed to disclose his extensive funding from the fossilfuel industry. Doctor weihock soon of the Harvardsmithsonian Center for astrophysics has downplayed Global Warming and rejected human activity as its cause, arguing the sun is more responsible than greenhouse gases. Climate deniers frequently cite his work to reject action on Global Warming. But documents released by greenpeace show dr. Soon has received more than 1. 2 million from fossilfuel corporations over the last decade and failed to disclose those ties in most of his scientific papers. According to the New York Times, soons hidden financial ties likely violate ethical guidelines in at least eight different cases. In correspondence with his funders, soon referred to his scientific papers or congressional testimony as deliverables. In response, the Harvardsmithsonian Center says dr. Soons behavior is inappropriate and will be handled internally. And calls for social justice were a strong current throughout the acceptance speeches at last Nights Academy awards. Accepting the oscar for best supporting actress in boyhood, Patricia Arquette called for Wage Equality for women. To every woman who gave birth to every taxpayer in citizen of this nation we have fought for everybody elses equal rights. It is our time to have Wage Equality once and for all. And equal rights for women in the United States of america. The singer john legend and rapper common won best original song for glory, featured in the movie selma. Legend paid tribute to protesters from the Civil Rights Era to today. Simone says it is an artist duty to reflect the times in which we live. We wrote this song for an event that was 50 years ago, but we say selma is now because the struggle for justice is right now. We know the Voting Rights that they fought for 50 years ago is being compromised right now this country today. We know that right now the struggle for freedom and justice is real. We live in the most incarcerated country in the world. There are more black men under correctional control today there more under slavery in 1850. People are marching with our song, we want to tell you, we are with you. We see you we love you, march on. God bless you. The film crisis crisis hotline won for best short. Dedicating the award to her late son. I want to dedicate this to my son evan. We lost it is suicide. We should talk about suicide out loud. This is for him. Thank you. Best documentary went to Laura Poitras for citizenfour, her inside account of how Edward Snowden exposed nsa surveillance. Poitras thanked snowden and all other whistleblowers exposing government wrongdoing. The disclosures that Edward Snowden revealed dont only expose a threat to our privacy but to our democracy itself. One of the most important decisions being made affecting all of us were made in secret. We lose our ability to check the powers that control. Thank you to Edward Snowden for his courage and for the many other whistleblowers. I share this with Lynn Greenwald and other journalists who are exposing truth. Thank you. The subject of citizenfour could not be here tonight. That was now Patrick Karras the host of the oscars. Also on the stage was Glenn Greenwald and lindsay mills, who is the partner of Edward Snowden who came in from russia. And accepting the award for best picture, director Alejandro Inarritu made a dedication to his home country, mexico, and the millions of immigrants seeking fair treatment in the United States. Cox finally, i just want to take one second i want to take the opportunity to dedicate this award for my fellow mexicans, the ones who live in mexico. I pray that we can find and build a government that we deserve. And the ones that live in this country who are part of the latest generation of immigrants in this country, i just pray that they can be treated with the same dignity and respect of the once who came before and built this incredible immigrant nation. The Oscar Nominations were the whitest in years. There were no people of color in either of the categories director, best actor, best actress, best supporting actor or best supporting actress. And those are some of the headlines, this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. I am amy goodman with juan gonzalez. Welcome to all our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. The battle between a democrat known as mayor one percent and a host of challengers has reached a fever pitch in chicago. Mayor one percent is what critics call mayor rahm emanuel, who is struggling to keep his seat when voters head to the polls on tuesday. Opponents say he has failed to improve the citys schools and address gun violence in much of the city, while others point to emanuels Reelection Campaign has a war chest of more than 15 million, about four times the amount raised by his four opponents. Most of his funds come from about 100 donors. About half the money, more than 7 million, has been spent on Television Ads like this one leading voices support rahm emanuel. Largest job gains of any major city. The tribune says because of mayor manual, or students spend time in the classroom and have fullday kindergarten. The suntimes calls rahm bolding courageous and president obama says emanuel is the mayor we need. Taxis making sure every chicago and in every neighborhood gets a fair shot at success they deserve. Books featured in that ad is president obama, who visited chicago last week to endorse his former white house chief of staff. Emanuel faces five challengers in a nonpartisan race that requires him to win 51 of the vote, or face a runoff in april. The city hasnt seen a run off since it adapted the nonpartisan system in the 1990s. His closest rival is jesus chuy garcia, a county commissioner who has support from the Chicago Teachers Union and other labor and progressive groups. Polls show about 20 of voters back garcia. The other three candidates are business man Willie Wilson chicago Alderman Robert fioretti, and william dock walls, who is a former aid to the former chicago mayor harold washington. Well for more, we go to chicago where were joined by journalist Rick Perlstein. His recent piece for in these times was headlined, how to sell off a city welcome to Rahm Emanuels chicago, the privatized metropolis of the future. Welcome to democracy now why dont you lay out this race, for people who are not closely following it, especially those outside chicago . Absolutely. It is a strikingly stark choice for voters tomorrow about who is going to control the city. Is it going to be the citizens or the 1 or the. 1 . Juan mentioned he raised 15 million, rahm emanuel him and misleading. He actually raised 30 million, 15 9 for his Political Action committee 15 million for his Political Action committee that is used to create a chicago political machine. The things he has been able to get away with with that money is absolutely stark absolutely horrifying. We really face a crossroads for the city tomorrow. Rick, why not you lay out some of the signature initiatives that emanuel embarked on during his first term . Well, it is pretty striking. With a month ago before the election we advertising started, he basically made him sound like eleanor roosevelt. You did talk about things like he did talk about things like excellent work used him with committed to colleges and minimum wage hike that will be phased in over 10 years. At the fact of the matter is, his real work has been in things like privatization. He struck a deal with a bunch of investment banks to use the preschoolers of chicago as collateral for a deal in which a bunch of bankers are going to get money if the test scores of preschool kids increase. He did things like privatize the janitorial core in Chicago Schools and they did such a bad job, a Company Based in his of any, that parents had to come in a week before the school year and clean the schools themselves. The companys response was to cut 1 4 of its workforce. It goes on and on and on. There have been some excellent Investigative Journalism done by the very publications that have shamefully endorsed rahm emanuel the Chicago Tribune account of his top 106 donors, 60 of them had received favors from the city. The suntimes did an amazing expose on a member of the school board appointed. We have an appointed school board in chicago, which is also a scandal, who is in investment or runs an Investment Fund for School Privatization companies and discovered her company had basically increased its billing with the Chicago Public schools about 300 . And a lot of these contracts were for 24,999 because if there for 25,000 or more, you actually have to have accountability. A final investigative report by the International Business times found he is using a kind of secret slush fund in which is able to shovel money to his character bidders without contracts contributors without contracts, without bidding, or any kind of paper trail about how theyre spinning the money, whether they are providing services to the city or not. He is really, really really been a strikingly corrupt mayor. If he gets away with it tomorrow, that will go down to the shame to the citizenry of chicago. Rick perlstein, were going to take a break and come back to this discussion. Rick perlstein is a chicagobased reporter whose recent piece for in these times was headlined, how to sell off a city welcome to Rahm Emanuels chicago, the privatized metropolis of the future. We will be back with Rick Perlstein in a minute. [music break] performing glory at the oscars last night, the theme song for selma. Correction, there were no black actor for director who was nominated. The mexican director johan drove in a reto one for best director. This is democracy now democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with juan gonzalez. We continue on the chicago mayor elections. Last week, president obama traveled to chicago to designate the citys national monument. He used the occasion to bolster Rahm Emanuels candidacy for mayor. This is part of what he said while speaking to a crowd of students and teachers at Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory academy. Before rahm was a big shot mayor, he was an essential part of my team at the white house doing some very hard times for america. And i relied on his judgment every day and his smarts every day and his toughness every day. President obama speaking thursday in chicago. Last month, obama also recorded a radio ad endorsing emanuel. Even though im working in washington right now chicago is my home. It is the place that made me who i. It is one acres are deeply about who leads our city. Before rahm emanuel was mayor chicago, he was a key part of my team at the white house. Lets be honest, at times, the guy can be hardheaded. There is a reason rahm fight as hard as he does he loves our city and believes every child in every neighborhood should have a fair shot at success. Chicago had the shortest school day of any American City until rahm insisted our kids get the same Educational Opportunity as other kids. He delivered full day kindergarten ever chicago child. He raised the minimum wage and he helped create thousands of chicago jobs by bringing new businesses to town. If you want to mayor who does what is right, not just what is popular, will fight night and day for the city we love, i hope you will join me. Both for rahm emanuel on tuesday, february 24. That was president obama in a radio ad endorsing rahm emanuel. Were joined once again byp chicagobased reporter. Talk about education and what rahm emanuel has done in education, what it meant that karen lewis of the Chicago Teachers Union president had to drop out of a potential race against him. Yeah, the president and his commercial said rahm emanuel is fighting for all the kids. That is nonsense. In the first meeting that rahm had we call him rahm, it is kind of silly. With care and will with karen lewis, hes a 20 of the school kids cant be saved. She was shocked. She decided this guy was a Malevolent Force for schools in chicago. She was vindicated in that judgment. The first thing he did in announcing was going to try and extend the school day, which everyone supported, was announced that he was not one to pay the teachers anymore for extending their workday. And took away and already negotiated 70 7 pay increase. Of course, they went on strike and careless in the chicago teachers in a great show of people power chicagoans all remember the vision of thousands of chicago teachers in their red tshirts at the auditory and theater and then marching the streets, they humiliated him. They beat him in a strike that he went down to springfield to rid the laws to prevent dust basically, helped pass a law saying a strike could not happen unless they had 75 of the membership voting for it. Well, they had about 98 of the membership voting for the strike. His response was to lay off teachers which is allowed to do. The idea that teachers are hard to fire is a myth when it comes to chicago. His appointed school board answerable only to him, does it all the time. The coup de grace was closing 50 schools without any citizen input. I went to a meeting in which his School Officials were standing on the stage being cried to buy adolescence who are begging them not to close their schools. And there was a Police Officer on stage as if these 12yearolds were going to rush the stage. When he announced was going to close the schools and he gave his explanation and that donation turned out to be threadbare and given other explanation, the Chicago Public Radio Station wbez did an analysis and found all eight explanations for why there were closing these 50 schools were all factually false and often contradicted each other. It was a complete power grab. What he has done has emptied out the core, the skeleton of these communities in this divide and conquer strategy, and basically, used the resources that were created by closing those schools to strengthen the schools and kind of the white yuppie neighborhoods. Absolutely scandalous. Careless what about the candidate that karen lewis supported. Could you tell us something about him . Karen lewis was ready to announce for mayor and was tragically struck by brain tumor. Absolute low for social justice freedom what who cares about social justice. She kind of handed the torch to a very competent reformer named trudy garcia who is held all kinds of offices state senator, alderman, now on the county board. Every time he goes to work, the people of chicago, the machine basically, goes after him. That is why he is held so many offices. He is an excellent public service. Many of us hoped the president of the county board would run. Together, they were able to balance a very big edge of deficit while lowering taxes, just by doing a thing they said they would do, eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse from the budget. When the Chicago Tribune endorsed rahm emanuel for delivering a balanced budget which i think he has done using all kinds of chicanery, they ignore the fact that garcia, in addition to being a very strong reformer in a very compassionate man and a competent public servant, had done the same thing for cook county. He would be an excellent mayor. And where is the most prominent latino politician chicago, luis gutierrez, in this race . Im not aware of who is supporting but he is not running. He is happy to be in congress. That would be an interesting restaurant. We play president obamas endorsement of rahm emanuel. Can you talk about how president obama, of course, who lived in chicago for many years, how his endorsement plays . It is really striking he has won that endorsement. If ron may meddle had just rathers, we would not have if from emanuel had his brothers we would not have the Affordable Care act. This idea that he is tough fighting politician, is nonsense. When he was chief of staff at the white house, he advised obama not to take on any fights that he did not know he could win in advance. That is why he fought thought universal health care was a bad play for him. Nancy pelosi had a talk obama into it. He is a loyal guy, barack obama so he is doing the announcement. Obama certainly doesnt cover the kind of sway he has in chicago when he was elected. You dont see the barack obama kitsch in the walgreens or the kind of family portrait in the barbershops, but certainly he does command a lot of loyalty among the portion of the population that Rahm Emanuels biggest with. Africanamericans abandoned him in droves because of the school stuff. They knew exactly what was going on. And no mayor can get elected in chicago without africanamerican support. In fact, black voters werent the backbone of the old daley machine were the backbone of the old daley machine. The crucial support which Rahm Emanuels election bid would be hopeless. Most people are not aware of, the big issue that has arisen in chicago over cameras and traffic lights and what emanuel has done. Can you explain that in terms of traffic tickets . It really speaks to the corruption of this a administration. Basically, he has claimed he is instituted red light cameras as street corners all over chicago for the safety of the city. Well the first vendor actually lost the contract because one of the city officials had been bribed said the tune of several million dollars. Another consultant actually, a guy named greg boulder, is a very close associate of rahm emanuel. It turns out that the red light cameras are a revenue grab. Basically a tax on the drivers of chicago. He has shaved the time for yellow light so they could get out more tickets. He claims his city hall has claimed it has lowered accidents of cars crashing into the sides of other cars by 47 . The Chicago Tribune did a study and found out it only lowered accidents 17 and increased rear end accidents by a great deal. So basically endangering the safety of the city of chicago giving the drivers of chicago a huge hassle they have to deal with and he has been increasingly dishonest about it. And he is been called on it. He is been able to get away with it because hes been able to buy 30 million worth of mailers and tv commercials and d. C. Stop political consultants. Tomorrow, explain what happens. It is an unusual election, a lot of cities dont have a system like this, a nine nonpartisan election. Right. We have a nonpartisan election. If you get to 50 , it is over. It is rahm emanuel against everyone else. If he gets 50 , he has another term. If he gets 49. 9 , there will be a runoff with a secondplace sinister who is likely to be ch uy garcia. Between february and april, we will have a real conversation about the future of the city. That is why voters absolutely have to get themselves to the polls. It is 4 degrees today, it might be 2 degrees tomorrow, but this is a lifeanddeath situation for the citizens of chicago. We want to thank you, Rick Perlstein, for being with us, chicagobased reporter whose recent piece is headlined, how to sell off a city welcome to Rahm Emanuels chicago, the privatized metropolis of the future. We will be back in a minute. [music break] nina simone. This is democracy now democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with juan gonzalez. This weekend people around the country marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of elhajj malik elshabazz, known as malcolm x, one of the most influential political figures of the 20th century. Here in new york, his former colleagues were joined by family members who remembered the father of at a Memorial Ceremony six in the former audubon ballroom where he was gunned down on february 21, 1965. He was just 39 years old. Today, a blue light marks the spot he was killed. This is malcolm xs daughter Ilyasah Shabazz. Our people [indiscernible] land was once barren, enslaved, and we can now call it the United States of america. It is important we make sure that they are honored, that their lives are not in vain. And i would like to bring us into a moment of silence. It is around the time my father was brutally assassinated, martyred right here in this blue light. If you could join us with the audubon ballroom is now the malcolm x and Betty Shabazz memorial and education center. Saturdays memorial there also featured several speakers and artists. Singer sharisse shesalt ashford shared this spoken word piece at 3 10 p. M. , the exact time malcolm x was shot. Please give a warm welcome to shesalt. Here in this place, and this blank space or your life was taken and hate, was taken with hate. You cant kill what god has purposed. 3 10, was your final hour, but your life is still speaking. Though black people still are pleading, their little signs of freedom. Determination is the reason we can keep on. Theres a worldwide revolution going on. Before we who taught us to love ourselves . You. Please believe, brother malcolm this is not just american problem. It is up to all africans to band together to solve them. Brother malcolm, we thank you for your sacrifice posto. Aint too many who would give their lives. Committed action, full of compassion. Loving people. Working over time that we might see our condition. That was remission. There was no hate in your blood. Racism, oppression sexism, all the violence against women. Brother malcolm, you have something to say. Speaking of women at this time, i would like to pay homage to dr. Betty who worked night and day to preserve the legacy in a dignified way. Is the very reason we came assembled today. A mighty sister who raised six dollars into queens, all the while becoming a doctor and fulfilling her dream. A mighty sister postop six daughters into queens all the while becoming a doctor and fulfilling her dreams. Turning tragedy into triumph this space was created. Dr. Betty, we thank you, and we are related. Brother malcolm, it is been 50 years and we still speak your name. Malcolm, the black prince that was slain, people will never forget. It has been 50 years and we still speak your name, brother malcolm. The black king that was slain in all the people in the place, if you will never forget say i mean. I want to turn to the keynote speaker saturday. This is dr. Ron daniels. With a whole generation of people dealing with black power and becoming a nuisance of awareness, all but your middle to malcolm. A two attributable to malcolm. If youre in a society where the government is oppressing you, he said you cant [indiscernible] blaster the civil rights activist died at the age of 93 in california. In 2006, i visited her in california and interviewed her for democracy now she talked about the day malcolm x was assassinated. She was with them in harlems audubon ballroom, cradling his head as he lay dying on the stage. The date was february 21, a sunday. Prior to that date, i think that whole week there was a lot of rumors going on in harlem that something might happen to malcolm. I think malcolm showed all along around that time, i think i dont know if it was a misunderstanding or just disagreeing about somethings that Elisha Mohammed and malcolm were talking about, personal things personal disagreement between elisha and malcolm. I think there is even talk that was going on after the assassination, however, many black people felt it could have been by people who had infiltrated or that the Police Department and fbi may have actually planted them in the nation of islam. That was yuri kochiyama. Ilyasah shabazz is caught in series traffic, so were going to turn to malcolm x. From the pbs document tree malcolm x make it plain. The white man is intelligent enough. If you were made to realize how black people really feel and how fed up we are without the whole compromising sweet talk, why youre the one who makes it hard for yourself. The white man believes you when you say with that sweet talk the good ship and sweet talking him ever since he brought you here. Stop sweet talking him. Tell him you feel. Tell him what kind of hell you been catching, let him know to clean his house up. If he is not ready to clean his house up, he shouldnt have a house. Issue catch on fire and it should catch on fire and burn out. Cox happier before his assassination, malcolm x gave the same speech i any means necessary. [indiscernible] has the same aim and objective to fight whoever gets in our way. [indiscernible] and bring about the freedom of these people by any means necessary. That is our motto. And purpose of our organization here in harlem, which has a largest concentration of people of african descent that exist anywhere on this earth. There are more africans here in harlem than exist in any city on the african continent. That is what you and i are africans. The charter of the United Nations, the declaration of human rights, the constitution of the United States and the bill of rights, puzzles in which others believe in these documents, if put into practice represents mankinds good intentions [indiscernible] we hereby present this charter the establishment the organization of [indiscernible] we need to seek allies among stop running away from the wolves and into the arms of the fox looking for some kind of health help. Number two, selfdefense. [applause] since selfpreservation is the first long nature, we assert the afroamerican dream, the constitution of the United States of america [indiscernible] to bear arms. And as americans, we will not give up a single right under the constitution. The history of unpunished violence against our people clearly indicates we must be prepared to defend ourselves or we will continue to be a defenseless people at the mercy of a ruthless and violent, racist mob. And this is malcolm x all misty year before he was assassinated at a speech given in detroit april 12, 1964 known as the ballot or the bullet [captioning made possible by democracy now ] to remove colonialism from asia and africa, black nationalism today to remove colonialism from the banks in the mind of 22 million afroamericans here in this country. It looks like it might be the year of the ballot or the bullet. [applause] why does it look like it might be the year of the ballot or the bullet . Because negroes have listened to the trickery and the lies and promises of the white man now for too long. And they are fed up. They become disenchanted. Theyve become disillusioned. Theyve become dissatisfied and all of this has built up frustrations in the black community that makes the black unity throughout America Today more explosive than all of the atomic bombs the russians can ever envision. Malcolm. We now and it todays show with the late ossie davis the actor and activist delivering the eulogy for malcolm x. Will stop this is from the pacifica radio archives. It was at the church of god in new york just a few days after malcolm x was assassinated. He gave it figure 27, 1965. My appreciation of malcolm in addition to all the other things he meant as a leader, as a teacher, as a man, a philosopher, as a man who knew the facts of life, as an africanist, economist, as a political scholar am a agitator. The thing that struck me most about him was that malcolm was a man, not in a particular sense malcolm had created a new style for those of us who would be men to follow, not only black men, but white men. Malcolm left us a heritage of manhood, which in our country has long been going out of style. If you dont believe it, if you remember last february, last march, when 38 people sat by the telephone and refused to pick it up when young lady was calling for help and she called three times. And these 38 citizens who represent us but the lady die without picking up the phone to call the police. That is the state of our manhood in this country today. And those were not negro people who did that, they were white. We have seized to care. We have seized to be concerned cease to remember our humanity. We are things, cogs, close to being dehumanized and this great country of ours. Malcolm came along and said, stop. Stop you are men. Stop, you do care. Stop, there is life in you. Stop, theyre still the possibility that manhood, that courage, their strength, that imagination will make the difference. It was he who ratted out flagging efforts, who taught us to stand up, especially the black man, but also the wise, the standup up over our needs to address ourselves to the truth even if we were killed for it. It is been a long time since i kind of courage and bravery was abroad in our land. We have had men, men who are martyrs, men who are mighty, men who set rate and good examples, but that one advantage that malcolm did not have. They were men of education, men of college, had training. Malcolm came from the lower depths. Therefore, measuring the man, we have to measure the place from whence he came. All of us sitting here tonight, men and women, black and white can and a little taller because a man like malcolm x. Walked on our earth, lived in our midst, smiled his smile on the face of harlem. I am happy to have known him and if theres a possibility every dem should for me, for you, for harlem, for our country, knocking is the man who said that such a redemption was possible. And when he died, he was pointing the way to his redemption. We sat tonight. We were uplifted by the singing the dancing, by the presence of great leaders among us, and you must have noticed that our greatest leaders turned out to be women. Now, there is a reason why this is so. And its the same reason why a man would hesitate to keep a picture of malcolm x. On his wall. And that reason is that as black man, we have been the most systematically emasculated people on the face of the earth. And we have learned, unfortunately, to accept and live with our emasculation as if this is the definition of what we are. Malcolm said no you are a man. I will make you see that you are a man. He insisted on ripping the lies from our face, our middleclass smugness. He talked to all of us. Get up off your knees. Come out of your hiding place. If your hiding place is gold come out from behind it. If your hiding place is perceived, count him out from behind it. If your hiding places poverty if you live in the slums, if you live in the gutters, stand up, look at the sun. You, to come are a man. And will not come it, when he looked at you, when he gave you the stuff of your own manhood how could we resist or deny or do less than the little we did to honor him when he died and here tonight. Great things sometimes show a very small. The cloud no bigger than a mans hand betokened the flood to destroy the earth. Many looking on the reception what has happened since malcolm has been dead, seeing the kind of reception that we have gotten and we have not gotten, might make the mistake of thinking that we have measured the man, we have put him in his place and therefore, we can safely turn around and forget him forever. But that is not so. I say this to you, as i say to myself if malcolm and his message so strong, so bright, and so pure was too good for those of us who have already reached manhood, there is a generation who is not yet spoiled, not yet d gutted, not yet the bold, not yet emasculated, who would they come into the light of his truth, will rise up and redeem him and us and all the rest of the world. That is the meaning of malcolm x. Ossie davis remembering malcolm x the 50th anniversary of his assassination