Harlem Exhibits Pay Tribute To Malcolm X: 2005

Harlem Exhibits Pay Tribute To Malcolm X On His 80th Birthday. A ny1.com segment from
May 17, 2005.

The life and times of Malcolm X will go on display this week as his family and followers remember the slain leader on what would have been his 80th birthday. NY1's Dean Meminger takes us to a center and an exhibit set up in Malcolm's honor. Crews are hard at work at the old Audubon Ballroom on West 165th Street and Broadway now known as the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial Center. May 19th marks the 80th anniversary of Malcolm's birth. The Audubon is where Malcolm X was gunned down on February 21, 1965 in front of his wife, daughters and supporters. The memorial center has interactive media displays that teach about Malcolm X and Dr. Shabazz. To honor his birth, the center will open temporarily this weekend. An official opening is scheduled for the summer. An exhibit of the black leader's personal letters, photos and belongings is also on display at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture this week in honor of Malcolm X's birthday. "In order to present a compelling perspective on his life and times," said Howard Dodson of the Schomburg Center for Research. Malcolm's daughters said the exhibit, titled "A Search for Truth," is about his entire life from being a boy named Malcolm Little in Massachusetts, to a Harlem hustler nicknamed Detroit Red, to a father and prominent leader of the Nation of Islam who later broke away from the black Muslim organization. "It was nice to read some of his young letters and really put perspective on how young he was. He really was only in his 20s, you know, 28 to 39 when he was 'Malcolm X,'" said Malcolm's daughter Ilyasah Shabazz. "I think that was the most touching and to read his love letters to his wife." Also on display are rarely seen police mug shots of Malcolm from his early days, taken after his arrests for burglary and other charges. Officials here at the Schomburg Center say there's a lot to learn at the exhibit. They also say young African American men who are involved in criminal activity or who are just facing a hard time in life can learn how Malcolm X improved his situation. "There's no better life to look at for creating corrective action in your life and setting yourself on a correct path for sane, humane living than that of Malcolm X," said Dodson.
The Schomburg Center is located on 135th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem.