Ancestral Call: Honoring Omowale with Drum and Dance - WARTIME 7

In 1964, Malcolm X embarked on an extended trip to Africa that profoundly shaped his development into the leader we recognize today. During his travels, he visited Ghana to meet with President Kwame Nkrumah and other leaders, as well as Shirley Graham Du Bois. He also traveled to Senegal and Nigeria.

Malcolm later described these meetings as “the highest honor of my life.” While in Nigeria, he delivered a pivotal speech at the University of Ibadan, arguing for independent African nations to bring a case before the United Nations charging the United States with genocide for its treatment of African Americans. Following the speech, the Muslim Students’ Society honored him with the Yoruba name ‘Omowale,’ meaning “the child has come home.” Malcolm later regarded this moment as one of the highest honors he had ever received.

In Honor of Brother Omowale, Candice Flows Igeleke, BabaaRitah Clark and Ayinde West performed a traditional West African Dance piece to honor Brother Ancestor Omowale.

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