Special to The Dallas Examiner
A screening of the documentary, Malcolm X: An Overwhelming Influence on the Black Power Movement, hosted by the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, will be held Feb. 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The film provides new insight into how Malcolm X changed America through revolutionary ideas, actions and strategies, while taking a look at his personal life through accounts with friends, co-workers, and family members.
The film is directed and co-produced by Dallas native Thomas Ali Muhammad, co-founder and vice president of Dallas’ Inner-City Community Development Corporation, with local co-producer Jorge Baldor, the founder of the Latino Center for Leadership Development, Mercado369 and After8toEducate.
The goal of the film is for viewers to gain a deeper understanding of Malcolm X’s impact on America and the Black Power Movement, and to show that his ideas are still relevant and influencing movements in the world today.
Muhammad collected important pieces of Malcolm X’s personal life by following A. Peter Bailey, co-worker of Malcolm X, journalist and lecturer on a journey from the Freedom House in Lowndes County, Alabama – where Malcolm X influenced organizers of the Black Panther Party to Selma, where Malcolm X met with Coretta King while her husband Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was in jail.
Throughout the documentary, viewers hear personal accounts from Malcolm X’s close family, friends and civil rights veterans who worked with him in his fight for equality and justice.
“So early in my life, I had learned that if you want something, you had better make some noise,” said Malcolm X.
While considered opposites, experts weigh in on the parallels between King and Malcolm X. There are roundtable discussions between seasoned civil rights activists and the younger generation working for equality today. They discuss Malcolm X’s influence in modern-day initiatives and what works and does not in the ongoing battle for justice.
Overall, the film seeks to show Malcolm X the man, along with Malcolm X the activist.
• Top Best Ten films of 2018 at the African Diaspora International Film Festival in New York.
• 15 Must Watch films at the 2018 Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, co-founded by actor Danny Glover.
• Feature film at 10th Annual Black Panther Party for Self-Defense Film Festival in New York.
• Featured at the 2018 Jubilee Film Festival’s annual “Selma to Montgomery” weekend, which includes the crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge known as the “Bridge Crossing Jubilee.”
The institute is located at 2719 Routh St. Tickets are available by calling 214-871-2440 or at http://www.dallasinstitute.org.