Students at an NYC public school not allowed to do assignment on Malcolm X

[VIDEO] This story out of New York City. A technology teacher tells 4th grade students that they can't write about Black leader Malcolm X. He was considered anything from a bad guy to a violent guy. I'm sure people still associate him as a member of the Nation of Islam from whom he broke away not long before his assassination.

Back in elementary school, The Autobiography of Malcolm X was one of the books that was assigned in the 8th grade. And like the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave it was also one of those books I wouldn't read. Shame!

But unlike back in the day when it was assigned I wouldn't read it, there are those who wish to suppress Malcolm X's impact on Black History at least. Now the video you see above is certainly racially tinged because they've made an issue of race in who doesn't want anyone doing an assignment on Macolm. In my case it was a white teacher who assigned us Malcolm X's autobiography.

In any case it's good to know that our young people still look to Malcolm X as a person to look up to! Perhaps in addition to watching Spike Lee well-known biopic, we should also read Malcolm's autobiography as well.

BTW, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is available in the public domain. Therefore that means you don't necessarily have to buy it, you can always find it online and read it that way if you so choose. Or I'm sure if you have a printing press you can make your own copy of his book. What it also means is that there's no excuse not to be able to read his book!