It seems that every so often, at least each quarter of the year since his assassination in 1965, Malcolm X (El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) has been in the news; mainly because of an incident related to a family member, governmental affairs lawsuits, activists commemorating or celebrating some facet of his extraordinary brief stay among us.
On Aug. 10, when Gov. Kathy Hochul renamed the subway station at 110th Street and Central Park North to 110th Street-Malcolm X Plaza, we received a fresh reminder of his life and legacy.
“One of the best ways to celebrate the rich history and community of Harlem is to recognize the contributions of Malcolm X and the Harlem Renaissance to New York and to the world,” Hochul told a throng of onlookers. “From the struggle [for] civil rights and equality to boundary-breaking cultural impacts of American icons like Zora Neale Hurston and Duke Ellington, Harlem has been at the center of progress in our nation for generations.” The governor didn’t have to look too far to be reminded of Ellington, whose statue hovered nearby.
However, this was another Malcolm moment and three of his daughters were there, including Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz, who has been indefatigable in keeping her father’s memory alive.
An inscription above the stairs leading into the subway presents Malcolm’s words: “I believe in a society in which people can live like human beings on the basis of equality.”
As a nation, we continue to struggle to live up to these words, but it’s a meaningful step in that direction to see another landmark honoring a freedom fighter and human rights activist. From this plaza, you can look down 110th Street and see another plaza bearing his name. We are accumulating places with his name — now it’s time to make his legacy resonate in our school system and echo in the halls of justice.