Comments on: Malcolm X Day — more than a day off?

By: laura menard

laura menard — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:59:40 +0000

Just for the sake of accuracy, I did not complain about MX, I provided yet another example of poorly aligned and repetitive curriculum based on a Berkeley style of flag waving. My point was to complain about the missed opportunity to read a variety of books, remember most Berkeley students are not assigned much reading during the K-12 years.

As to my personal view of MX, I tend to not admire people who find their moral center and conscience through religion as MX did.

By: Cori Kesler

Cori Kesler — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:19:05 +0000

I wrote a post on my blog about my feelings on this. http://bit.ly/bvgn2x The comments are interesting … I do think that Malcolm X should be studied in school. As should Booker T. Washington, WEB Dubois, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and many others. The school district now lumps Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays as one on a Monday in February dubbed “Presidents Day” and honors them all. Could we not do the same thing and have ONE day that celebrates the achievements of ALL the leaders in African American History?

Just a thought.

By: Malcolm X Day celebrated at namesake school – Berkeleyside

Malcolm X Day celebrated at namesake school – Berkeleyside — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:05:59 +0000

[...] is to be the only city to mark Malcolm X Day with a holiday. We started the week asking where are the celebrations? We end the week reporting on one event which did happen to mark the [...]

By: Lori Kossowsky

Lori Kossowsky — Tue, 18 May 2010 05:58:07 +0000

Thanks for the info Thomas. Maybe there should be a Berkeley Day, when we all help each other in these hard times. Just a thought.

By: Thomas Lord

Thomas Lord — Mon, 17 May 2010 23:02:47 +0000

Brian,

Good question. I had never thought about it.

The answer is Malcolm X was within 0 miles of Berkeley – and there’s an interesting bit of history there.

See, for example:

http://www.jofreeman.com/sixtiesprotest/speakerban.htm

Very briefly: for decades, the University of California banned certain speakers from campus. Communists were apparently one favorite target.

In 1961, Malcolm X was banned from speaking on campus on the grounds that he was a religious leader. That same year, Billy Graham spoke on campus. Malcolm gave his talk at the Y.

By 1963 the ban had been lifted. The student political party SLATE (instrumental to the campus Free Speech Movement) invited two speakers: Malcolm X and a representative of the Ku Klux Klan.

The article I linked reports:

“They were greeted politely. Malcolm X was applauded. Capt. Forbes heard silence relieved by occasional laughter.”

By: John Seal

John Seal — Mon, 17 May 2010 22:33:37 +0000

Complain if you will about Malcolm X, but his autobiography is anything but ‘thin’. The standard Ballantine paperback edition is 460 pages long.

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 17 May 2010 20:55:20 +0000

Was Malcolm X ever within 300 miles of Berkeley?

By: Lee Trampleasure

Lee Trampleasure — Mon, 17 May 2010 19:55:03 +0000

In my opinions, Berkeley did a good thing to give International Women’s Day and Malcolm X Day off as holidays. When we did this, it was one way we could tell people that these were important issues. Now we have ML King Jr. Day as a national holiday. And, as Maureen pointed out, taking off Int’l Women’s Day generally makes women work harder (we still live in a society where most of the childcare is handled by women).

In days when schools and cities are looking on ways to save money, perhaps it is time to rescind these local holidays. Schools and the city government can still commemorate them if they believe they are important. City workers might have to work an extra couple days, but they probably get these days as extra days when compared to other cities. School teachers are required to teach a state-mandated number of days, so it would just make the the school year a couple less days into summer break (or start a couple days later).

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:59:58 +0000

I’m glad I don’t live in Berkeley anymore.

By: hi_friend

hi_friend — Mon, 17 May 2010 17:53:46 +0000

this Wednesday we will be having a special dinner

but nothing today, no