Malcolm X - Liberate our Minds by any Means Necessary Fridge Magnet

Malcolm X - Liberate our Minds by any Means Necessary - photo by Don Charles, posed to imply Malcolm X was waiting for the assassins that were coming for him, 1964.

Donald Hogan Charles, born in New York in 1938, was the first African-American New York Times staff photographer - where he worked for 43 years. He was known for his photography of street life in Harlem, as well as the Civil Rights Movement and Malcolm X. He died in 2017.

Malcolm X was an African-American revolutionary, internationalist and community activist. As a child he witnessed white racists and Ku Klux Klan violence against his family. He became an advocate of self defence by the African-American community, including taking up arms if necessary.

In 1946 he was sent to prison for eight to ten years for larceny and burglary. While he was in prison, he was politicised and joined the Nation of Islam, adopting the name Malcolm X to symbolize his unknown African ancestral surname while discarding "the white slavemaster name of 'Little'".

After his parole in 1952, he quickly became one of the Nation of Islam's most influential leaders. He was the public face of the organization for 12 years, advocating black empowerment and separation of black and white americans, as well as criticizing Martin Luther King Jr. and the mainstream civil rights movement for its emphasis on non-violence and racial integration. 

He was assassinated in 1965 by members of the Nation of Islam some time after he had lef the organisation and became critical of some of its beliefs and activities.

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Racism is deeply entrenched in our societies and cultures, and implanted in our minds—both consciously and subconsciously. It reinforces and perpetuates systemic inequalities, discrimination, and oppression, serving as a tool wielded by the ruling elite and their enablers to divide and control us.

The fight against racism demands relentless effort: continuous learning, recognising and challenging our own unconscious bias, standing up to racists and taking action in favour of justice.

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, born in 2013 following the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer, has grown into a powerful global force advocating for racial justice, equality, collective safety and community-based support.

We support the aims of the BLM movement.