DANIEL McCLOUD

For those familiar with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there is a series of comics dedicated to “What If?” This comics series has recently been rebooted as an animated series on the Disney+ Channel. The concept of the

“What If?” series is the premise that changes in history would result in a different future. This premise lets me examine the deaths of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

These two men were pillars of the Civil Rights movement and were both killed within three years of each other.

Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, was killed on Feb. 21, 1965, at the age of 39. The highly visible proponent of Black Nationalism was assassinated while addressing his Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) at the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights. He was 39.

Dr. Martin Luther King, a Baptist minister, was a significant architect of the Civil Rights Movement. He led non-violent desegregation campaigns, including those in Alabama at Montgomery and Birmingham. He won the Nobel Peace Prize and was assassinated as he prepared to lead a demonstration in Memphis on April 4, 1968, at 39 years old.

What if these two men had lived? It is widely known that Malcolm X had shifted his political views toward a more inclusive philosophy. Malcolm X, a Black Nationalist and racial separatist who condemned everything Eurocentric, made a pilgrimage to Mecca upon breaking with the Nation of Islam. He was profoundly changed by the trip; he returned to America and changed his name to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. Then, in June of 1962, he founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity. This organization’s guiding principles held that racism, not necessarily the White race, was the greatest challenge to the African American.

Dr. King, a disciple of Gandhi, took a non-violence approach to racial justice. He led marches and protests across the country to shed light on the oppressive atrocities Blacks suffered in America, particularly in the South. In addition to his efforts to end racial injustice, Dr. King was also an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War and poverty in America.

So what if the two men had lived? It is believed that ultimately these two men would begin to strategize about the best path forward regarding civil and human rights. Before their deaths, both men appeared to have taken a global view of the needs of the oppressed. How would the United States and the world be different?

Let’s consider the shifts in politics, Civil Rights, and human rights in America between Malcolm X’s death and Dr. King’s death.

• March 9, 1965: Dr. King leads a march to the Pettus bridge, turning the marchers around at the bridge.
• March 21, 1965: Three thousand marchers leave Selma for Montgomery, completing the march without opposition.
• August 6, 1965: President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act, banning voter discrimination.
• January 6, 1966: The Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee (SNCC) announces its opposition to the Vietnam War.
• January 26, 1966- Dr. King moves into an apartment in a Chicago slum, announcing his intention to start a campaign against discrimination there.
• October 15, 1966: Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale found the Black Panther Party in Oakland, Calif. They want to create a new political organization to better the conditions of Black people. Their goals include better employment and educational opportunities as well as improved housing.
• On April 4, 1967: Dr. King made a speech against the Vietnam War at Riverside Church in New York.
• November, 1967: Dr. King announced the Poor People’s Campaign, a movement to unite the poor and disenfranchised of America, regardless of race or religion.
• April 11, 1968: President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (or the Fair Housing Act) into law, prohibiting sellers or renters of property discrimination.

These are only a few examples of the social-political changes that were taking place in this country during that period. Also, we should not forget that Malcolm and Martin were not the only victims in the war against oppression. There were countless others, including Medgar Evers, a field secretary for the NAACP and civil rights activist who was killed in front of his home on June 12, 1963, at 37.

So imagine a world where these individuals had lived. For example, consider that on Jan. 20, 2009, the inauguration day for the first African American president, Barack Obama, Dr. King would have been 80 years old. Malcolm X would have been 83. In placing their age and abilities in context, our current president is 79. We can only speculate about these two late individuals’ contributions if they had chosen to work together. What if, indeed, unfortunately, the world will never know!