WNYC’s The Greene Space presents
Malcolm X: Speaking in the 21st Century
A Conversation about the enduring relevance of this African American leader with former associates and family
Plus, film screenings about Malcolm X’s life
Presented as the Inaugural Events in the Series
The NEXT New York Conversation: Legacy 2010
February 16, 17 &18, 7pm
After an OAAU (Organization of Afro-American Unity) business meeting on February 20, 1965, Earl Grant invited Malcolm X to spend the night at his apartment, fearing for Malcolm X’s safety:
"You have a family," said Malcolm. "I don't want anyone hurt on my account.
I always knew it would end like this."
Malcolm X was assassinated the very next day on January 21, 1965
at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem , New York .
(January 26, 2010, New York , NY ) – As the 45th Anniversary of Malcolm X approaches, he remains an influential figure in African American history and discourse. His social critiques from half-a-century ago presaged many of the dialogues that are emerging in the 21st century around globalization, race in America , and Islam. His legacy includes these prescient questions, as well as the controversy they sparked in his time.
WNYC’s Jerome L. Greene Performance Space will remember this pivotal African American leader with three evenings dedicated to placing Malcolm X in his time, and considering his ongoing relevance in ours.
On Thursday, February 18th at 7pm, The Greene Space presents MALCOLM X: SPEAKING IN THE 21ST CENTURY, bringing together individuals connected to various facets of Malcolm X’s life who have never before shared a stage: PETER BAILEY, former associate editor of Ebony and an original member of the OAAU; MALAAK SHABAZZ, daughter of Malcolm X; EARL GRANT, a close associate and one of the last people to see Malcolm X alive; and DR. MUHAMMED AHMAD, Assistant Professor, African American Studies, Temple University. The evening will be hosted by FARAI CHIDEYA, award-winning author and journalist and contributor to WNYC and Public Radio International’s morning news program, The Takeaway. These close colleagues and family will not only remember Malcolm X's contributions to the 20th century American and global landscape, but will position him squarely in present political, social and cultural discourses as well.
This lively conversation will be interwoven with a multimedia collage of audio and video excerpts of Malcolm X, as well as exclusive video footage of Mr. Bailey at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem , recounting the timeline leading up to Malcolm X’s assassination. The event will be presented as a live videostream at www.wnyc.org/thegreenespace, and the panel will address questions from both the live and online audiences. New Yorkers who have memories or mementos from Malcolm X’s time will also have the opportunity to swap reminiscences online (web address to be announced at a later date).
In addition, The Greene Space will present two seminal films about Malcolm X.
Tuesday, February 16, 7pm: Malcolm X: His Own Story as It Really Happened (1972)
Running Time: 91 minutes
Narrated by James Earl Jones, Ossie Davis, and Steve Benderoth, this 1972 documentary tribute to the life and work of Malcolm X was nominated for a Screen Academy award for Best Feature Documentary. It is based on The Autobiography of Malcolm X, written by Alex Haley between 1964 and 1965, as told to him through conversations with Malcolm conducted shortly his death. Made with the help of Malcolm's wife Betty Shabazz, Malcolm X: His Own Story as it Really Happened recounts the life and ideas of this controversial man. In addition to clips of Malcolm X in public interviews and speeches, numerous important civil rights figures are featured, as well as important public officials from the period.
Wednesday, February 17, 7pm: Malcolm X (1992)
Running Time: 3 hours and 14 minutes
This1992 biopic was directed by Spike Lee, who billed the film as part labor of love, part declaration of conscience and every frame his own creation about the African-American activist and black nationalist Malcolm X. The story is based on The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley. Starring Denzel Washington whose performance in the lead role earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
When: February 16, 17 & 18, 2010 at 7 pm
Where: The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space
44 Charlton Street (at Charlton Street )
New York , NY 10014
Tickets: Malcolm X: Speaking in the 21st Century: $25,
Film Screenings: $10 each (includes complimentary beverage and snacks)
Available at www.wnyc.org/thegreenspace
Live Video Webcast of February 18th Conversation: www.wnyc.org/thegreenespace
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MALCOLM X: SPEAKING IN THE 21ST CENTURY is the first installment of The NEXT New York Conversation: Legacy 2010, a dialogue series exploring the lives of significant figures – from Malcolm X to John Lennon, among others - whose work has transcended time and place and continues to impact us today. Produced and presented by The Greene Space, WNYC’s multiplatform street-level performance venue, Legacy 2010convenes historians, scholars and eyewitnesses of history to examine the ongoing relevancy of thinkers, newsmakers, changemakers in an intimate setting with a global reach. Going beyond biography, the interactive series will engage both live and online audiences to bring to life the way these luminaries continue to shape our world, inform global dialogues and touch us personally.
PANELISTS:
Peter Bailey is a former associate editor of Ebony magazine and an original member of The Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU), founded in 1964 by Malcolm X. Bailey was editor of the OAAU newsletter Blacklash. He is also is co-author of Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey; co-author with Rodnell P. Collins (nephew of Malcolm X) of Seventh Child: A Family Memoir of Malcolm X. He assisted John Henrik Clarke with the editing of Malcolm X: The Man and His Times. Mr. Bailey has also authored Harlem: Precious Memories and Great Expectations, and is the former President of the New York Association of Black Journalists. He is a native of Columbus , Georgia and a graduate of Howard University .
Earl Grant was a close friend and associate of Malcolm X and a former OAAU member. Along with Peter Bailey, he assisted John Henrik Clarke with the editing of Malcolm X: The Man and His Times.
Malaak Shabazz is the youngest daughter of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz. Malaak was still in her mother’s womb at the time of her father’s assassination. Together with her sisters, Malaak oversees the The Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center in Harlem, which honors the legacies of her parents by promoting human and civil rights through knowledge of the history and culture of the African Diaspora; education and self-empowerment; family values; and facilitating racial and religious reconciliation. In keeping with her father’s late-in-life internationalism, Malaak works at the United Nations, focusing on aid to women and children in developing nations.
Dr. Muhammad Ahmad (s.n. Maxwell Stanford Jr.) was national field chairman of the Revolutionary Action Movement (RAM) during the mid 1960’s and founder of the African People’s Party in the 1970’s. Dr. Ahmad has worked closely with Malcolm X. In 1968, he helped organize the Third National Black Power Conference and co-chaired its political workshop. Ahmad taught African and African-American history and political science in Ohio for 16 years. He is assistant professor in the Department of African-American Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia . Ahmad has recently authored 3 books: Selected Writings, Vol.I, We Will Return in the Whirlwind, and African-Americans since 1900: 2nd edition.
HOST:
Farai Chideya has combined media, technology, and social justice during her 20-year career as an award-winning author and journalist.. From 2006 to early 2009, she hosted NPR’s News and Notes, a daily national program about African-American and African diaspora issues. She and the teams she has worked with have won awards including a National Education Reporting Award, a North Star News Prize, and a special award from the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association for coverage of AIDS. Chideya’s novel Kiss the Sky is nominated for a 2010 NAACP Image Award. She is a contributor to The Takeaway, a morning drive news program co-produced by WNYC and Public Radio International
WNYC Radio is New York 's premier public radio franchise, comprising WNYC FM, WNYC AM, and WQXR, as well as www.wnyc.org and www.wqxr.org. As America's most listened-to AM/FM public radio stations, reaching more than one million listeners every week, WNYC extends New York City's cultural riches to the entire country on-air and online, and presents the best national offerings from networks National Public Radio, Public Radio International, American Public Media, and the British Broadcasting Company. WNYC 93.9 FM broadcasts a wide range of daily news, talk, cultural and classical music programming, while WNYC AM 820 maintains a stronger focus on breaking news and international news reporting. Classical 105.9 WQXR is New York City ’s sole classical music station, which presents new and landmark classical recordings as well as live concerts from the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic, among other New York City venues, immersing listeners in the city’s rich musical life. In addition to its audio content, WNYC produces content for live, radio and web audiences from The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, the station’s street-level multipurpose, multiplatform broadcast studio and performance space. For more information about WNYC, visit www.wnyc.org.
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