5016e) Dorothy Ashby - 1965 Event Program for Afro-American Broadcasting Company Awards Night Presentation at which El Hadj Malik Shabazz aka Malcolm X gave his last major speech and the Dorothy Ashby Trio performed. Page 5
5016e) Dorothy Ashby - 1965 Event Program for Afro-American Broadcasting Company Awards Night Presentation at which El Hadj Malik Shabazz aka Malcolm X gave his last major speech and the Dorothy Ashby Trio performed. Page 5
This is an original issue 1965 event program booklet that was published to commemorate an awards event on February 14, 1965 at which Malcolm X gave his “last message” just 7 days before his assassination on February 21, 1965. This event occured the very same night that Malcolm X (or El Hajj Malik El Shabazz as was his preferred name at this time) had his home firebombed. According to his own words in the speech that he gave that evening, because of the damage his home suffered that night, he was not wearing his customary coat and tie.
The event at which Malcolm X spoke that night was actually an awards event called the "First Annual Dignity Projection and Scholarships Award Night" sponsored by the Afro American Broadcasting Company. The event was complete with live music and famous persons being honored for their achievements including Rosa Parks, Sidney Poitier, and Marion Anderson. The Dorothy Ashby Trio was part of the entertainment for the event. Malcolm X was the scheduled keynote and final speaker for that evening.
From reading page three of this event program I have determined that the "Afro American Broadcasting Company" was an African American organization that was formed in 1964 primarily to produce radio programs that "met with our approval as spiritually free black people". The organization began in 1964 to produce and distribute its own radio programs about the African American experience to radio stations throughout the northeastern United States. The organization was formed in response to dissatisfaction in the African American community with the content and character of radio programs produced about African Americans on "white radio stations". The purpose of the event held that Valentine's Day in 1965 was to raise money by selling tickets to the event itself. The money was to be used to provide scholarships to Afro American youth to enter the field of "mass communications". Malcolm X was particularly interested in supporting the African American media at this time because he recognized the importance of his speeches being accurately reported to the public by the media which would explain his supporting this organization.
History would determine that this was to be Malcolm X's last major public speech. It was given that night at the Ford Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan on Feb 14, 1965. The historical importance of this 12 page event program is that it provides and illuminates the social and political context that existed at the time that Malcolm X’s last major speech was given. This context has never been illustrated as clearly as it is by studying this event program.
There is no reference found anywhere on the Internet to the existence of this historic event program.
This event program is not part of any collection that originated directly from Malcolm X or his family. It was and still is traditional to publish a very limited number of programs such as this to commemorate an event and then sell or give them away at the event. Since the program is dated on the front and was published strictly for this event, it is highly unlikely that the program was distributed after the date on the front.
This event program booklet is both extremely rare and very historic. The corresponding pictured 2 LP record set of the speech that was given by Malcolm X that night is included with the booklet only to give the winner an additional historical reference as to what media was spawned as a result of the event that that this program commemorates. The cover of the record is very good minus. The disks are in very good plus condition. This speech has also been transferred to compact disk which is not included with this auction.
This is an extremely rare historical document. I don't know of another copy.
5016e) Dorothy Ashby - 1965 Event Program for Afro-American Broadcasting Company Awards Night Presentation at which El Hadj Malik Shabazz aka Malcolm X gave his last major speech and the Dorothy Ashby Trio performed. Page 5
5016e) Dorothy Ashby - 1965 Event Program for Afro-American Broadcasting Company Awards Night Presentation at which El Hadj Malik Shabazz aka Malcolm X gave his last major speech and the Dorothy Ashby Trio performed. Page 5
This is an original issue 1965 event program booklet that was published to commemorate an awards event on February 14, 1965 at which Malcolm X gave his “last message” just 7 days before his assassination on February 21, 1965. This event occured the very same night that Malcolm X (or El Hajj Malik El Shabazz as was his preferred name at this time) had his home firebombed. According to his own words in the speech that he gave that evening, because of the damage his home suffered that night, he was not wearing his customary coat and tie.
The event at which Malcolm X spoke that night was actually an awards event called the "First Annual Dignity Projection and Scholarships Award Night" sponsored by the Afro American Broadcasting Company. The event was complete with live music and famous persons being honored for their achievements including Rosa Parks, Sidney Poitier, and Marion Anderson. The Dorothy Ashby Trio was part of the entertainment for the event. Malcolm X was the scheduled keynote and final speaker for that evening.
From reading page three of this event program I have determined that the "Afro American Broadcasting Company" was an African American organization that was formed in 1964 primarily to produce radio programs that "met with our approval as spiritually free black people". The organization began in 1964 to produce and distribute its own radio programs about the African American experience to radio stations throughout the northeastern United States. The organization was formed in response to dissatisfaction in the African American community with the content and character of radio programs produced about African Americans on "white radio stations". The purpose of the event held that Valentine's Day in 1965 was to raise money by selling tickets to the event itself. The money was to be used to provide scholarships to Afro American youth to enter the field of "mass communications". Malcolm X was particularly interested in supporting the African American media at this time because he recognized the importance of his speeches being accurately reported to the public by the media which would explain his supporting this organization.
History would determine that this was to be Malcolm X's last major public speech. It was given that night at the Ford Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan on Feb 14, 1965. The historical importance of this 12 page event program is that it provides and illuminates the social and political context that existed at the time that Malcolm X’s last major speech was given. This context has never been illustrated as clearly as it is by studying this event program.
There is no reference found anywhere on the Internet to the existence of this historic event program.
This event program is not part of any collection that originated directly from Malcolm X or his family. It was and still is traditional to publish a very limited number of programs such as this to commemorate an event and then sell or give them away at the event. Since the program is dated on the front and was published strictly for this event, it is highly unlikely that the program was distributed after the date on the front.
This event program booklet is both extremely rare and very historic. The corresponding pictured 2 LP record set of the speech that was given by Malcolm X that night is included with the booklet only to give the winner an additional historical reference as to what media was spawned as a result of the event that that this program commemorates. The cover of the record is very good minus. The disks are in very good plus condition. This speech has also been transferred to compact disk which is not included with this auction.
This is an extremely rare historical document. I don't know of another copy.