On Black Prophets/Prophetesses

Blog Week 14

One of the most important contributions to the Black radical tradition has been by individuals we term as Black prophets/prophetesses. With their courage to speak the unapologetic truth, their guidance towards the “Promised Land” of liberation and their immortality through their legacy, they are able to help us learn several invaluable lessons on the Black radical tradition. While they all differed in some ways in their principles, strategies, and conceptions of decolonization, their valor and determination distinguished them as indispensable pillars of the Black liberation movement.

Malcolm X says things others would not dare to say. From responding to President Kennedy’s assisination as “chickens are coming home to roost”, his criticism of the “house negro” and “Uncle Tom”, to him going against the Elijah Muhammad when his thinking no longer aligned with them, Malcolm never hesitated to speak the uncompromising, unapologetic truth, something similar to what prophets have done for their religion. He possessed the unique, almost prophetic ability to see things clearly as they are and call them to attention. Through Malcolm, we learn the need to speak out courageously and bluntly against oppression and wrongdoing.

Malcolm also teaches that life is a continual story of growth, progression and redemption. From living a life as a drug dealer, robber and racketeer to dedicating his life to the cause of black liberation, he relays the inspiring journey from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X. Later in life, he did not fear to disassociate from the Elijah Muhammad when he found out the truth about their contradictions. Malcolm is a testament to the fact that there is always scope for improvement, and there is no shape in growing and changing for the right cause. Prophets too, at the end of the day, are humans. Through Malcolm, we learn that there is a Malcolm Little in all of us. We learn that there is always hope for redemption.

Martin Luther King, being put in jail for nonviolent demonstrations, called out the hypocrisy of the white clergy in a way that insinuates no hate, but only extends a hand for cooperation. King upheld the prophetic principles of being ethical, moral and nonviolent in all courses of action. He uses the power of his articulate speech to convey the painful, tragic emotions of black oppression, seeking to evoke humanity, reaffirming his faith in human empathy. He knew that structures of oppression will only be reproduced if decolonization aimed to inverse the power structure by inciting hatred and vengeance against the whites. Through King, we learn that the ends do not justify the means, aligned with what Audre Lorde invokes, “the master’s tools shall never dismantle the master’s house”.

Martin Luther King’s words shake us out of our slumber of ignorance, reminding us that "justice too long delayed is justice denied.". As he declares in his letter from Birmingham jail, there can be no “wait”. Time of waiting is a time of never and freedom has to be taken now. Yet, King does not let us forget that “life is a continual story of shattered dreams”. Doing the right thing is not about living to see the outcome being achieved, it is about having the “heart in the right”. It is the fight that matters, more so than the outcome. He demonstrates his prophetic qualities by fighting for the moral cause while embracing disappointment and accepting failure and unfulfilled dreams. Through King we learn that while we may never live to see the fruit of our efforts, it is still worthwhile to fight for the moral cause and it should be done now.

Ella Baker radically turns over the concept of messianic leadership by advocating for a radical democracy. While leaders may be the key to a movement, it is only by empowering people at the grassroots that a movement can be sustained and numerous new leaders be born. Baker tells us to “work for a cause”, instead of the organization. Reminding us not to conflate the white group with the white individual, Baker reaffirms the need to hate the sin and not the sinner. This prophetic figure stands not just for the black community, but for humankind. She reinvigorates the faith in humankind, reinforcing that there is a capability in every individual to create a change. Through Baker, we learn the need to make our own contribution to the “cause of humanity”.

While the leaders we know as the black prophets/prophetesses differ drastically at times in terms of their approach, the lessons, a list of which can go on and on, which they leave behind are universal in time and space. Even today, whether it is about matters pertaining to feminism, the fight of the LGBTQ, oppression of several ethnic and religious minorities, or simply about our own situation of decoloniality, the lessons of redemption, nonviolence and empowerment that we learn are applicable to all scenarios.The world was not ready at that time to let these prophets speak the unapologetic truth. The world took them away prematurely and left us wondering what would have happened had they lived on, had they had more time. Yet, they leave behind a legacy that continues to shape the way we think and act in profound ways. Through their legacy, they remain immortalized.