....Moreover, one thing that has always come to my mind about Malcolm's and the NOI's separatist philosophies was that I could see their ideologies being implemented in larger, inner-city, metropolitan areas like Chicago, Atlanta, NY, Philly, Boston, etc..; but just HOW did the NOI propose to implement this separatism in the DEEP SOUTH amongst the generations of descendants of former slaves still share-cropping, still economically dependent on the white power structure and living under the fear of the dictatorship of white police, the KKK, and local government....which were all ONE IN THE SAME?? I've said before that it was mighty easy for Malcolm to go down to Selma, AL and give his "HOUSE NEGROES and FIELD NEGROES" speech to the Blacks there and then FLY BACK TO NY. How were THESE Black people supposed to work toward social and ECONOMIC independence?...How was the NOI planning to HELP them do so besides, essentially, calling them "Uncle Toms" for supporting Dr. King? Now, yes, Robert F. Williams and the Deacons for Defense & Justice were in the DEEP SOUTH; and, yes, THEY advocated ARMED-resistance to the white power structure....But, just HOW were mostly uneducated, RURAL Blacks in GA/AL/TN/MS/SC/NC/FL supposed to accomplish this SEPARATISM that Malcolm espoused? ...How were THESE Blacks supposed to "have their own everything;" and HOW did the NOI propose to HELP them do so?? ....And really, historically and according to "JIM CROW," we were already "SEPARATE," any way. In many URBAN cities, we already had our own SEPARATE areas of businesses, hubs of the Black communities, because we couldn't go to those same WHITE businesses. -- We had Black schools, Black theaters, Black doctors/lawyers/dentists, banks, hotels, sports etc...almost every commercial/economic endeavor was mirrored in a Black community. ...So, just how more "SEPARATE" did the NOI want us to be?
WELL SAID! Yes, either way, with Malcolm or Martin, the long-standing status quo of white America was being challenged with CHANGE.
The final step would have been the formation and declaration of a State or Nation. Everything was separate except subjugation to government.
Yeah, and what happened to any impetus of such a "STEP?" For all the SEPARATISM that the NOI spit back in the 60s, what happened?? In 1964, Malcolm started the (OAAU) "Organization of Afro-American Unity." --Its Charter was written by Malcolm and several other men. One of them was John Henrik Clarke.--- Before his death, Malcolm was planning to go to the United Nations on the violations of "Human Rights" of Africans and African-descendants, a Pan-African endeavor. But, Malcolm was murdered in '65. So, what happened to alla that "SEPARATISM" the NOI was spittin' back then? Elijah Muhammad died in '75. John Henrik Clarke died in '98. After Malcolm'x death, Louis Farrakhan was Elijah's protege and is still the spokesperson for the NOI today. So, what happened to alla that "SEPARATISM" of the 1960s? What happened to this "BLACK NATION" that Farrakhan has been talking about since the 60s? Telling Black people that we should only depend on OURSELVES for jobs/economic independence is fine but also tell us HOW we're supposed to do that and HELP us do it. Talk is cheap....and except for those members DIRECTLY employed by the NOI (especially the UPPER RANKS/ECHELON), I would venture to say that most of today's NOI membership is EMPLOYED by the white power structure and that MOST of their "Black dollars" go to white businesses, not Black ones.
My opinion: The Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, along with Affirmative Action and other programs were part and parcel of appeasement. The US doesn't need a large scale separatist movement in its borders. No one wants that. It would become VERY expensive dealing with such along with a change in the nature and character of the portrayal of the US. If you rummage around the web, I'm certain you can find documents from US intelligence departments concerning the risks of a "large-scale Negro separatist movement" to the US. There were also concerns of Communism, Marxist philosophy. This is one of the reasons for COINTELPRO.