LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Decem-
ber 12th Movement's annual march on 125th Street, and paying tribute to
the memory of singular human and civil rights hero Malcolm X

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and cele-
brate individuals and events which commemorate our nation's great strug-
gle to fulfill the promise of equality and opportunity for all; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commem-
orate the 25th Anniversary of the December 12th Movement's annual march
on 125th Street, and to pay tribute to the memory of singular human and
civil rights hero Malcolm X; and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1987, the December 12th Movement carries forth the
spirit of Malcolm X's universal notion that the conditions which Afri-
can-Americans suffer in the United States are inextricably linked to the
conditions of Africans worldwide; and
WHEREAS, For the past 25 years, the December 12th Movement has led the
Black Power March and Rally to shut down all businesses along the 125th
Street corridor in Harlem to commemorate the birthday and Legacy of
Malcolm X, also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz; and
WHEREAS, Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, on May
19, 1925; and
WHEREAS, On January 14, 1958, Malcolm X married Betty Sanders, and
together they raised six children, Attallah, Qubilah, Iiyasah, Gamilah,
Malaak, and Malikah; and
WHEREAS, Once a member of the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X was a Muslim
minister, public speaker, and human rights activist; to his admirers, he
was a courageous advocate for the rights of African-Americans in the
face of institutionalized racism; and
WHEREAS, After his departure from the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X
founded Muslim Mosque Inc., and the Organization of Afro American Unity;
he then became a Sunni Muslim and after his holy pilgrimage to Mecca, he
became El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz; and
WHEREAS, Malcolm X's pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, proved life
altering and for the first time, he shared his thoughts and beliefs with
different cultures, and found the response to be overwhelmingly posi-
tive; and
WHEREAS, When he returned to the United States, Malcolm X mentioned
that while he was abroad he had met men of all races that he could call
his brothers; he also returned to the United States with a new outlook
on the African-American struggle for equality, a new message for all
mankind, and a new hope for the future; and
WHEREAS, On February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated while giving
a lecture in the Audubon Ballroom, in New York City, which was subse-
quently designated as a landmark and currently houses the Malcolm X and
Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center; and
WHEREAS, In 1987, in honor of the slain civil rights leader, Lenox
Avenue in Harlem, New York City was named after Malcolm X; and
WHEREAS, Our society is greatly benefited by the purposeful efforts of
individuals who unite for the cause of improving the quality of life for
others, and who proactively work toward the goal of dignity for all; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
applaud those cultural events within the State of New York which serve
to celebrate diversity, and in doing so, help to enfranchise minority
populations within the larger community of humanity; now, therefore, be
it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the December 12th Movement's annual
march on 125th Street, and to pay tribute to the memory of singular
human and civil rights hero Malcolm X, one of the most influential Afri-
can-American leaders in history; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the December 12th Movement.