Today, May 19 is the anniversary of the birth of human rights activist , Malcolm X. In 1964,
Malcolm X talked about the year of the “Ballot or the Bullet, meaning that if the nonviolent political route did not solve America’s racial problems violence would be the only alternative. With the current attacks on critical race theory, a NC activist is calling 2021, the year of “the Book or the Bullet.”
This May 19th, Durham North Carolina minister and activist
Paul Scott, founder of the Black Messiah Movement, is launching the “Book or the Bullet” Campaign. Scott is concerned that the current attacks on Critical Race Theory are a not so veiled attempt to erase the voices of those who were critical of America’s treatment of African Americans, such as Malcolm X from history.
The present initiative by Republican legislatures across the nation to restrict the teaching of race issues – particularly black American history – is a blatant attempt to rewrite history.
This attempt to rewrite history is an initiative by certain Americans to avoid responsibility for pain, suffering, and damage done to black Americans through slavery and government authorized segregation, discrimination, and systemic racism.
The fact that this assault on the true history of race in America is a coordinated effort by Republican controlled state legislatures is extremely troubling. This thinly veiled attempt to rewrite history is a slap in the face of truth, justice, and equality.