This Fall we celebrate two historical moments for the namesake of Malcolm X. First he was officially selected as the next Nebraska Hall of Fame inductee noted as the first Black bust to ever enter the state capitol for this recognition. Once again we took a full 15-passenger van (pictured here) to the state capitol in Lincoln to witness the unanimous vote on September 12 for Malcolm Little to be inducted. It was an exciting day in history to be in the room! We want to thank everyone who gave testimony for the public hearings for Malcolm's nomination! Here's a recap article by the Omaha World Herald.
We are planning a community celebration as a result on Nov. 19 and more details can be found below.
Secondly, we collaborated with Opera Omaha to engage the community in educational events around the opera titled X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X. Slated for two performances in Omaha on November 4 and 6 at the Orpheum Theater, this production is actually a revival from 35 years ago when it was originally brought to life in New York at the Lincoln Center stage. We are grateful for the chance to connect others with the significance of this cultural presentation with an event series recapped below from October 25 thru November 5th. We are also happy to be offering these events for free to the public.
Whether you were able to attend any of these events in person, a virtual option is available for each production (excluding the opera itself).
October 25th | 6-7 p.m. at Benson Theater
This conversation featured Omaha historians and community leaders invited by the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation. We discussed Malcolm X’s connection to Omaha and context of that time in Omaha Omaha’s history, as well as the legacy of Malcolm X and the work of the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation.
Speakers:
Terri Sanders, Publisher, The Omaha Star
Leo Louis II, Board President, Malcolm X Memorial Foundation
Melvin Muhammad, former board Member, Malcolm X Memorial Foundation
JoAnna LeFlore-Ejike, Moderator, Executive Director, Malcolm X Memorial Foundation
Guest Speaker Geoff Pope
We also invited guest speaker Geoff Pope for two special lectures held November 5th. Pope is a friend of the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation who hosts a weekly discussion series all about Malcolm X via the Clubhouse app called “The Legacy of Malcolm X.” Here Geoff has held live discussions for over 90 consecutive weeks with scholars, students, and everyday people about the life and legacy of Malcolm X. We are grateful for his presentations to both the youth focused audience and the general public. Follow the images below for the recap videos which were also streamed on our Facebook page.
Youth Focused Session at North High - Video Linked Here.
General Audience Session at Malcolm X Foundation - video linked here.
Save the Date:
Hall of Fame Celebration
November 19 | 12-4 p.m. at Malcolm X Foundation
Join us in celebration of this important global news of the selection of our native son into the Nebraska Hall of Fame! This is a free community event. Currently we are seeking sponsors - email us to find out how! (info@malcolmxfoundation.org)
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