This is a little overdue.
This point was supposed to be made on May 19, and it should have been made a long time before that. The date was supposed to create a connection between readers and the man of whom I speak. This point could have also been made on Feb. 21.
Those dates stand as the bookends to the life of one of the most influential people of the 20th century yet not many people can identify this man from the dates alone.
How about I give you one simple letter: X.
Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 and was assassinated on Feb. 21, 1965, robbing the world of a passionate and intelligent leader.
The name alone brings emotion to most who hear it. Not all of it is good emotion, but that is, hopefully, about to change.
Malcolm X took on many roles during his life and his story is one of great change.
His passion for his religion and fiery attitude sent him up the ladder in the Nation of Islam leadership and he became a minister in the organization. Malcolm X was made famous on an international level as he challenged entrenched political views and called for racial segregation.
His face became the target of political attacks and Malcolm X was not afraid of the adversity. His love for the black community was pure. He didn't just support the civil rights movement; he was the movement.
Pain, betrayal and hate shot through his dark eyes and when he spoke, the youth in the black community listened. His message during the time might have been offensive to some, but it was the catalyst needed to spark a revolution.
It was once said that only Malcolm X had the power to cause a riot and the influence to stop it.
But it was that attitude and unwavering, stubborn belief system that has damaged the leader's image to a point where most people only associate hate and racism with his face.
That is simply wrong.
What most people don't know is that Malcolm X underwent yet another change. He became El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz in March, 1964 after a pilgrimage to Mecca opened his eyes to the true Islam. His perception of religion and the race issues in America completely changed.
Shortly after Shabazz's return to America, he was cut off from the Nation of Islam, but he went on teaching and started the Organization for Afro-American Unity.
Thirty-nine years later he was assassinated in the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan. His assassination created a firestorm in the black community and, for the first time, many people finally saw that people truly loved the man.
What does this translate to? A simple dash and a date on a calendar.
Every gravestone has two dates on it and we all know what they mean. What separates a great person's life from all of the rest is what they did with the time between the dates.
Shabazz had only 39 years to make his mark and he did it with authority. Now it's our turn to make a mark on history and make May 19 a holiday celebrating the birth of Malcolm X.
By making his birthday a holiday, we recognize a man who serves as a model for all youth. Politicians speak of revolution in the ghettos of America but turn a blind eye to a man who truly overcame what life handed him.
Isn't that what we all strive for? The ability to face adversity, to change, to learn from life in a positive way is something we say we admire. It's something we attribute to heroes.
Arizona was one of the last states to make the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. a holiday and it would be fitting that it be the first to make the birthday of Malcolm X a holiday.
It's a decision that is only logical and it is a decision that is long overdue.
Cameron is a senior journalism major. Reach the reporter at cameron.eickmeyer@asu.edu.
