Malcolm X’s legacy will once again take center stage in Harlem as the community prepares to celebrate what would have been his 101st birthday with a day of rallies, reflection, and protest.
The annual Malcolm X Day commemoration returns on May 19, anchored by the longstanding “Shut ’Em Down” demonstration along 125th Street. Organized by the December 12th Movement, the event calls on businesses to close for several hours in a symbolic “moment of commercial silence” honoring the Black liberation leader.
The tradition, now in its 36th year, has become one of Harlem’s most visible tributes to Malcolm X. A rally and march will begin at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building before moving through the commercial corridor, where activists are expected to once again press businesses to shut their doors between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m, The Amsterdam News reports…