In 1964, Malcolm X spoke at the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Summit, calling for Pan-African unity against global racism. A historic, lucid, and prophetic address, his speech connected the struggles of African Americans to those of the African continent, confronting imperialist hypocrisy head-on.
The Second Conference of Heads of State of the Organization of African Unity, held from July 17 to 21, 1964, in Cairo, marked a turning point for Malcolm X. The event offered him an international platform to expose the injustices endured by African Americans and to call upon his African brothers for support.
In this powerful speech, Malcolm X emphasized the unbreakable ties between Africa and its diaspora and called for transcontinental solidarity against oppression. Below is a full translation of his passionate appeal to African leaders, urging them to recognize and act upon the suffering of Black people in the United States.
Malcolm X’s call for unity and justice at the organization of african unity summit
The Organization of Afro-American Unity has sent me to attend this historic African Summit Conference as an observer representing the interests of 22 million Afro-Americans whose human rights are being violated daily by the racism of American imperialists.es américains.
The Organization of Afro-American Unity was founded by a representative cross-section of the Afro-American community in America and is inspired by both the letter and spirit of the Organization of African Unity.
Just as the Organization of African Unity called on all African leaders to submerge their differences and unite around common objectives for the collective good of all Africans, the Organization of Afro-American Unity has called on Afro-American leaders to drown their differences and find areas of agreement so that we can work in unity for the benefit of all 22 million Afro-Americans.
Since we are 22 million Africans who are now in America not by choice, but as the result of a cruel accident of our history, we strongly believe that African problems are our problems and our problems are African problems.
We also believe that, as heads of independent African states, you are the shepherds of all African peoples, whether they are still here on the mother continent or have been scattered abroad.
Some African leaders at this conference have implied that they already have enough problems here on the mother continent without adding the Afro-American problem.
With all due respect to your esteemed positions, I must remind you that the Good Shepherd will leave the ninety-nine safe at home to rescue the one who is lost and has fallen into the clutches of the imperialist wolf.
We in America are your long-lost brothers and sisters, and I am here to remind you that our problems are your problems. As Afro-Americans awaken today, we find ourselves in a strange land that has rejected us, and like the prodigal son, we turn to our elder brothers for help. We pray that our pleas do not fall on deaf ears.
We were taken by force, in chains, from this mother continent, and we have now spent over 300 years in America, enduring the most inhuman forms of physical and psychological torture imaginable.
In the past ten years, the entire world has seen our men, women, and children attacked and bitten by vicious police dogs, brutally beaten by police nightsticks, and blasted by high-pressure water hoses that tore clothes from our bodies and flesh from our limbs.
And all these inhumane atrocities were inflicted on us by American government authorities, by the police themselves, for no other reason than our desire to be recognized and respected as fellow human beings in America.
The American government is either unable or unwilling to protect the lives and property of your 22 million Afro-American brothers and sisters. We are defenseless, at the mercy of American racists who murder us at will simply because we are Black and of African descent.
Last week, an unarmed Afro-American educator was cold-bloodedly murdered in Georgia; just days before that, three civil rights workers disappeared—perhaps even killed—simply because they were teaching our people in Mississippi how to vote and claim their political rights.
Our problems are your problems.
We have lived for over 300 years in the den of racist American wolves, in constant fear of being killed and torn apart. Recently, three Kenyan students were mistaken for Afro-Americans and brutally beaten by New York police. Shortly after, two Ugandan diplomats were also beaten by New York police who mistook them for Afro-Americans.
If Africans visiting the United States are beaten so brutally, imagine the physical and psychological suffering endured by your brothers and sisters who have lived there for more than 300 years.
Our problem is your problem.
No matter how many African nations achieve independence here on the mother continent, unless you wear your national attire at all times while visiting America, you may be mistaken for one of us and subjected to the same daily psychological and physical abuse we suffer.
Your problems will never be fully resolved unless and until ours are. You will never be fully respected until we are respected. You will never be recognized as free human beings until we are also recognized and treated as human beings.
Our problem is your problem.
It is not a Black problem, nor an American problem. It is a global problem, a problem of humanity. It is not a civil rights problem; it is a human rights problem.
We pray that our African brothers did not liberate themselves from European colonialism only to fall victim to American dollarism. Do not let American racism be legitimized by American dollarism.
America is worse than South Africa because not only is America racist, it is also deceitful and hypocritical. South Africa preaches segregation and practices segregation. At least it practices what it preaches. America preaches integration and practices segregation. It preaches one thing and hypocritically practices another. South Africa is like a vicious wolf, openly hostile to Black humanity. But America is cunning like a fox—friendly and smiling, but even more vicious and deadly than the wolf.
The wolf and the fox are both enemies of humanity; both are canines that humiliate and mutilate their victims. Both have the same goals, differing only in method.
If South Africa is guilty of violating the human rights of Africans here on the mother continent, then America is guilty of even worse violations against the 22 million Africans on the American continent. And if South African racism is not a domestic issue, then American racism is not a domestic issue either.
We urge independent African states to help us bring our case before the United Nations on the grounds that the government of the United States is morally incapable of protecting the lives and property of 22 million Afro-Americans, and that the worsening of our situation is now a threat to world peace.
Out of frustration and despair, our youth have reached the point of no return. We no longer have the patience nor the intention to turn the other cheek. We claim the right to self-defense by any means necessary and reserve the right to retaliate maximally against our racist oppressors, regardless of the adversity we may face.
We are fully aware that our future efforts to defend ourselves by striking back—meeting violence with violence, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth—may trigger the kind of racial conflict in America that could easily escalate into a bloody global race war.
In the interest of world peace and security, we implore the heads of independent African states to call for an immediate investigation of our plight by the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
One final word, my beloved brothers at this African Summit:
“No one knows the master better than the servant.”
We have been servants in America for over 300 years. We know this man called “Uncle Sam” intimately. Therefore, you must heed our warning. Do not escape European colonialism only to be ensnared by deceitful and “friendly” American dollarism.
May Allah’s blessings of health and wisdom be upon you all.
~ Malcolm X
The timeless legacy of Malcolm X: A beacon of justice and african unity
Malcolm X’s speech at the Organization of African Unity Summit remains, decades later, a powerful testament to the ongoing struggle for social justice and African unity. By eloquently articulating the profound links between Africa and its diaspora, Malcolm X not only shed light on the injustices faced by African Americans but also laid the groundwork for a transnational solidarity that continues to inspire liberation movements around the globe.
We warmly invite you to explore more about Malcolm X, the history of civil rights, and Pan-Africanism on our website Nofi.media. Through a rich selection of articles, analysis, and stories, discover the struggles, triumphs, and teachings of the movements that have shaped not only African and African-American history, but also the course of global social justice.
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The Timeless Legacy of Malcolm X: A Beacon of Justice and African Unity
Malcolm X’s speech at the Organization of African Unity Summit remains, decades later, a powerful testimony to the tireless struggle for social justice and African unity. By eloquently expressing the deep connections between Africa and its diaspora, Malcolm X not only shed light on the injustices endured by African Americans but also laid the groundwork for a transnational solidarity that still inspires liberation movements across the globe.
We warmly invite you to dive deeper into the world of Malcolm X, the history of civil rights, and Pan-Africanism on our website Nofi.media. Through a rich selection of articles, analyses, and stories, explore the struggles, triumphs, and teachings of these movements that have shaped not only African and African American history, but also the broader course of global justice.
