Malcolm X, born on this day (May 18th) in 1925, was a revolutionary civil rights leader who advocated for black liberation by "any means necessary".
Biography
Born Malcolm Little, he spent his youth living in a series of foster homes and engaging in petty crime, eventually serving six years in prison for larceny and breaking and entering.
While in prison, Malcolm joined the Nation of Islam (NOI) and adopted the surname "X" to acknowledge his unknown African ancestral name. Malcolm quickly became a leader with the NOI and was paroled in 1952, beginning a period of radical advocacy for black liberation.
In the 1960s, Malcolm X broke with the Nation of Islam, growing disillusioned with its leader Elijah Muhammed. During his 1964 pilgrimage to Mecca, he witnessed Muslims of "all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans" treat each other as equals in worship. Because of this, Malcolm X became convinced that Islam could be used as a means to achieve racial equality.
On February 21st, 1965, Malcolm was assassinated in New York City. Three Nation members were charged with the murder and given indeterminate life sentences. Two of these men, Muhammed Abdul Aziz and Khalil Islam, were exonerated in 2021 after a 22-month investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney found that evidence of their innocence, including FBI documents, was withheld at trial.
The Shabazz family are among those who have accused Louis Farrakhan of involvement in Malcolm X's assassination. In 1994, Betty Shabazz was asked if she thought Farrakhan had anything to do with her late husband's death. She replied "Of course, yes. Nobody kept it a secret. It was a badge of honor. Everybody talked about it, yes."
In the wake of his assassination, capitalist press vilified Malcolm X, while media in Africa, China, and Cuba lauded him as a hero and a martyr. The New York Times wrote that Malcolm X was "an extraordinary and twisted man" who "turn[ed] many true gifts to evil purpose", while Time magazine condemned him "an unashamed demagogue" whose "creed was violence."
In contrast, The Ghanaian Times identified Malcolm X as among "a host of Africans and Americans who were martyred in freedom's cause." In China, the People's Daily described him as a martyr killed by "ruling circles and racists" whose death illustrated that "in dealing with imperialist oppressors, violence must be met with violence."
In 2023, The Guardian reported that the Shabazz family announced their plans to sue the FBI, New York Police, and other agencies over Malcom X's death. Ilyasah Shabazz, the third daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz, announced that new information indicates federal and state agencies “conspired to and executed their plan to assassinate”. Ilyasah added "For years, our family has fought for the truth to come to light concerning his murder and we’d like our father to receive the justice that he deserves."
"Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it."
- Malcolm X
I hope you nerds have a good month of April 
Remember no crackers
I am technically already "hired" but as a worker for a recruiting agency. Legally, they count as my employer and they're helping me to find work. I had an interview with one of their clients today, and it seems to be a good fit, but even if this one does not work out, they should be able to redirect me to something else. Lots of POC at this job, and my skills seem to be a good fit.
The recruiting agency told me that jobs could hire me as early as the day of the interview, but this job told me I'd likely get an answer by next week. Hell, they told me that some jobs do not even require interviews. Something feels close! Fingers crossed!
Temp work is always a good fallback whenever it's available. They get a lot of fuckups, so anyone who basically shows up on time and does what they're told looks like a fire in a snowstorm. Places looking to fill a permanent position will often hire you on the spot so they don't have to pay the agency and don't have to go through the rest of the hiring process. The downside is agencies are often overloaded during bad economies because no one can find a job, so there ends up being a lot of competition for whatever is available.
I once got a week's work because the other temp didn't show up (it was 10:30 AM when the shift started at 8 AM). I was there by 11 and they looked at me like I was some kind of prodigy. We were folding junk mail.
Many of these positions are temp-to-hire or long-term from the getgo, thankfully. At least they seem to have a decent supply of work available, though. I likely won't have more information until next week, but hopefully this all goes well!