Malcolm X Day

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Malcolm X Day
Malcolm X Day
Malcolm X
Observed by Berkeley, California, U.S.
Type Local
Date May 19

Malcolm X Day is an American holiday in honor of the civil rights leader Malcolm X which is celebrated either on May 19 (Malcolm's birthday), or the third Sunday in the month of May. The commemoration has legal status in the city of Berkeley, California.1 It is also a proposed holiday in Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington, D.C, with numerous calls for it to be celebrated alongside Martin Luther King Jr. Day2 as a federal holiday.3

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Historic celebrations

The first known celebration of Malcolm X Day took place in Washington, D.C., in 1971.4

Current celebrations

Berkeley, California

In Berkeley, California, there is currently a legal status on this holiday.5 This holiday has been in place since 1979.67

Washington, D.C.

Schools such as the Malcolm X Elementary School in Washington, D.C., mark this holiday through UPEACE, US's DCPEACE program.8

Opposition

Opponents of Malcolm X call the day "absurd".9 Erik Lundegaard from the Seattle Times suggests that Malcolm X who did not follow the doctrine of "non-violent" resistance caused more to respect the rival leader Martin Luther King Jr. and more disrespect and disinterest for Malcolm X.10

References

External links