Did Malcolm X Hate Women?

Manning Marable's controversial book takes a hard look at Malcolm's complicated relationship with women.

Did Malcolm X Hate Women?

by Natalie Hopkinson | The Root.com

Malcolm X was furious to learn at the last minute that a speaker had decided not to appear at a rally at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, N.Y., on Feb. 21, 1965. A flustered aide said that he'd phoned Malcolm's wife, Betty, with the information, according to Manning Marable's controversial biography, Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention.

Malcolm exploded: "You gave that message to a woman?! ... You should know better than that."

The remarks, hours before he was assassinated, capped off a lifetime of frustration with, dependence on and anger at the women in his life. The fact was, Betty, pregnant with twins, did not know how to reach him. She and her four daughters had been living with friends since they were evicted from their former Nation of Islam-owned home -- which had just been firebombed. Malcolm kept his distance from the family to keep them safe.

Read the Full Essay @ The Root.com

Libyan women ground their artwork in tradition

The Libyan women also show the darker side of society.

Libyan Women Ground Their Artwork in Tradition
by Natalie Moore

To many in the Western world, Arab women are mysterious, repressed and shrouded in long black robes. And many Libyans are aware of that sweeping stereotype. But Libyan women are active in politics, academia and government. They also have a presence in the arts.

Listen to the Full Story HERE

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As the reporter for Chicago Public Radio’s bureau in Englewood, a neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Natalie Moore covers news and issues in that community and surrounding areas.

Haiti Update: Rape in the Camps

from Democracy Now!

Rape in the Camps:

Lacking Security, Women Organize to Protect Themselves

Something that gets lost in all the coverage of the Haiti earthquake is how people on the ground organize in the face of adversity. Rape and violence against women has become increasingly widespread in the tent camps across Haiti. While Haitian police and UN forces have done little, women on the ground are organizing to protect themselves. We spoke with Malia Villard Appolon, coordinator of KOFAVIV, the committee of women for survival.

Walking Home

This is an experimental piece about women ritually facing street harassment as they walk home. Shot in Brooklyn and Philadelphia, it mixes 16mm film, video, poetry and music in an effort to honor and reclaim our voice, name and humanity in the public sphere. This is for the walkers, talkers and those who say nothing.

A Third World Newsreel Workshop Production
in collaboration with Messages in Motion
Directed by Nuala Cabral