Seven Songs for Malcolm X is an American documentary film that was directed by John Akomfrah, written by John Akomfrah and Edward George, and produced by producer Lina Goupal. The production companies the Black Audio Film Collective, John Akomfrah’s London based company, and Channel 4 Television Corporation were both involved in the production of this documentary film. The film was released in Canada on September 15, 1993 at the Toronto Film Festival, in October 1993 at the Chicago International Film Festival, and then on March 15, 2009 it was released in the Czech Republic at the One World Film Festival. The film was distributed by Channel 4 Television Company. The documentary film was filmed in London and has a runtime of 52 minutes.
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The film pays homage to the life and the legacy of the African American activist Malcolm X who was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska, by the name Malcolm Little. He was assassinated on February 21, 1965 in New York City, New York by members of the Nation of Islam. The film examines Malcolm X’s life from pre-birth up until his assassination by a series of narrations and by dramatic reenactment pertaining to specific accounts of his life. The series of narrations is conducted by members of Malcolm X’s family, former Malcolm X aides, eye-witnesses, scholars of history, social analysts and quotations from Malcolm X’s book The Autobiography of Malcolm X. The film begins with narration from Cocoa Fusco saying, “FBI report June 12, 1964; anonymous called at 1:40 says Malcolm X will be bumped off.” This is followed by several quotes from Malcolm X as well as picture of each person who will speak throughout the film. This was followed by spoken words from attorney William Kunstler saying, “I met him just a week or so before he died at an airport and he told me that he had had a telephone call with Martin Luther King Jr. and they were going to meet and try to amalgamate their two forces...divide the country into north and south, Martin in the south and Malcolm in the north. It would have been a great movement with the two charismatic men. And I think that the government had to stop that at any cost.” This leads into further description of the day that Malcolm X died by eye witnesses: Yuri Kochiyama (community activist), Betty Shabazz (Malcolm X’s wife), and Imam Benjamin Karim (one of Malcolm X’s aides).
Then several people such as Spike Lee (film maker), Greg Tate (cultural critic), and Patricia Williams (Professor of Law and Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin) speak of Malcolm X. The camera then screens in Malcolm X’s tomb which reads:
This is the first of several chapter titles in the film. It describes pre-birth history of Malcolm’s mother’s move from the Caribbean to the United States of America. The narrator describes his mother, Louise Norton's, reason for moving was that she, “Believed in the delicate line between life and death, the line of color.” This quotation set the stage for the explanation of Malcolm X’s motivation for becoming an activist. Wilfred Little, Malcolm X’s brother, says “Understanding the families background is important in understanding Malcolm because the family were always activists.” He further describes the two activists that their father, Earl Little a Baptist preacher, admired which were Marcus Garvey and Booker T. Washington. The narrator then revealed that Louise and Earl were members of Marcus Garvey’s “United Negro Improvement Association” which was form in 1914 to promote unity among people of African descent.
Author Thulani Davis speaks of the events that shaped Malcolm X, such as the Ku Klux Klan telling Earl Little to quit preaching Marcus Garvey’s message and when Earl did not listen he was murdered. This led to Louise losing her mind due to the stress of attempting to maintain their house which eventually places her into a mental institution. These events placed Malcolm X and his siblings into foster homes which shapes Malcolm X significantly. Another important event presented was the moment when Malcolm X lost interest in school. This happened when his dream of becoming a lawyer was shot down by his teachers saying, “Wanting to become a lawyer isn’t a realistic goal for a nigger.”
The film then moved to Malcolm X’s teenage years when he first moved to Boston after moving from foster home to foster home. The narrator reveals that Malcolm X moved to Boston to live with his half sister Ella at the age of thirteen. These were Malcolm X’s zoot suit, wide-rimed hat, knob toed shoes, and big legged pants days. Malcolm Jarvis aka “Shorty”, one of Malcolm’s childhood friends describes meeting Malcolm in a pool hall in which he says that his first impression of Malcolm was that he was a “slickster from the yard”. Next, Robin Kelly, Professor in the Department of History at the University of Michigan, describes these zoot suite days from Malcolm X’s eyes as a period of darkness prior to the transformation to Islam. He suggests that the zoot suite represented a political statement that Malcolm X was not willing to participate in the war or suggesting a sense of anti-patriotism.
Quoting “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” the narrator reveals that when Malcolm X was arrested that he told the police, “I can’t wait to get me a gun so I can shoot me some crackers!” Malcolm Jarvis then describes breaking into Mr. Gamble’s house, of Procter & Gamble, while he is out of town.
The film speaks about the ending of World War II which is about the time that Malcolm X enters prison. Wilfred Little, Malcolm X’s brother, describes the conversation he had with Malcolm X telling him that he should finish school in prison so that “the time would serve him.” Malcolm Jarvis describes their studies in mental telepathy and says it has to do with Malcolm X’s transformation of the mind. He implies that Malcolm X knew how to manipulate the mind of others.
Wilfred Little discusses his own transformation to Islam and his desire to share his religion with his brother Malcolm X and his other siblings. He speaks of how stubborn Malcolm X was and how he sent their brother Reginald to the prison to speak to Malcolm X. This was because Reginald could relate with Malcolm X better because he was on the streets with Malcolm. Reginald was the one who convinced Malcolm to convert to Islam while in prison. This transformation marked the turning point in Malcolm X’s life.
The narrator then describes the year 1952, in which it was the first year in which no lynching’s had occurred. The narrator reveals that at this period in time Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believes that “non-violence is a sham.” This is the period of Malcolm X’s life after he has left prison. Malcolm X meets Elijah Muhammad, the founder of the Nation of Islam, whom becomes like a father figure to Malcolm X. Betty Shabazz, Malcolm X’s wife, describes their relationship at this time as that of a father and a son. She says that Elijah Muhammad actually referred to Malcolm X as “son” which she believed to be important to Malcolm X seeing as he lost his father at the age of six. It was when Malcolm X met Elijah Muhammad that Malcolm X received his honorary “X”. Before that he was simply “Malcolm”.
Betty Shabazz describes the formation of temples around the world that were populated by young adults. She says that before Malcolm X started this movement there were less than six temples full of elderly people and Malcolm helped to transform it. Hassan El-Sayeed, a community activist in Harlem, describes African square in Harlem and speaks of were Malcolm X preached and lived.
The narrator reveals that in 1957 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. becomes the leading proponent in the non-violence movement. Betty Shabazz describes meeting Malcolm X for the first time. She says that he frightened her at first, because he always seemed so serious and focused.
The film presents that on April 14, 1957, Malcolm X intervened in Hinton Johnson arrest. Hassan El-Sayeed describes the 28th Precinct, where Johnson was held after being beaten. He describes that Malcolm X brought several hundred members of the Nation of Islam that eagerly awaited his orders. Imam Benjamin Karim describes that after the neurosurgeon coming out of surgery and told Malcolm X that Johnson would live that he simply raised his hands and the crowd melted away. He said that the police officer said that, “No man should have that much power.”
Cocoa Fusco reads the FBI files revealing that the FBI is now acknowledging that Malcolm X should be viewed as a key figure because of his extensive activity of Mosque number seven. Betty Shabazz says that his success was because of his hard work.
On June 3, 1963 FBI reports revealed that technical surveillance was installed in Malcolm X’s home. This leads in to quotes of Malcolm X biographer Peter Goldman and historian John Henrik Clarke. The film reveals that Malcolm X is becoming aware that his friends want to kill him.
A broadcaster announces that president John F Kennedy had died and Malcolm X states that it was a case of, “The chickens coming home to roost.” Elijah Muhammad used this statement from Malcolm X to silence him for ninety days. Elijah Muhammad told the members of the Nation of Islam if Malcolm X came back to Chicago that they must only give him a job washing dishes.
Malcolm X says that he can work better by being on the outside of the Nation of Islam. He says, “I will work with them or against them, which ever works better”. Quotes from Malcolm X reveal that he is going to Mecca to give a direct link to Islam.
Gabriel Prasa joins the Nation of Islam after learning he is bombing Africans in the military. A group of people come to him wanting to purchase weapons because they have a problem with Malcolm X.
Malcolm X writes to Yuri Kochiyama as he travels around the world. Malcolm X gets a promise from the United Nations that they will address the mistreatment of Negroes as a human rights issue and not a civil rights issue.
Wilfred Little, Malcolm X brother, says that Malcolm X told him that on one of his trips that he was told that he changed the image of Muhammad. He caused people to sacrifice their money, and their daughters and that he was going to have to pay for his mistakes.
Cocoa Fusco reveals that orders to kill Malcolm X came in from Chicago on July 5, 1964.
Peter Bailey discussed the formation of the Organization of Afro-American Unity with Malcolm X.
Malcolm X speaks about his house being bombed and almost hitting his three daughters.
The film then shows screen shot shots of newspaper articles revealing that Malcolm X had been murdered. It also shows his funeral and the thousands of mourning people to his death. Hassan El-Sayeed visits the Unity Funeral Home in the center of Harlem and speaks about the impact of Malcolm X. He says that, “The name is what Malcolm was about in his last days.”
The film then moves to the release of “Malcolm X”, starring Denzel Washington by director Spike Lee, in Harlem in 1992.
The film ends with a quote from Jan Carew saying that Malcolm X was important because he was as “truth teller”. He says that he told the truth without coating the truth.
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