Malcolm (Little) X
Born: 1925Death: 1965
On April 24, 1963, over 700 people filled two room in what is now the University at Buffalo's South Campus to hear Malcolm X debate the Rev. Clarence L. Hilliard, pastor of the St. Paul Baptist Church in Lackawanna, NY. Malcolm X was invited by the U.B. Student Association. By 1963, Malcolm X was reportedly the second most sought-after speaker on college campuses. (Barry Goldwater was the first.) Although espousing separation of races, Malcolm X denied the Muslim movement was a "hate organization." He said "We are not anti-you, we are just pro-us." (see Black Muslims Raps School Integration Buffalo Courier-Express, 24 April 1963)
Rev. Hilliard was born and raised in Buffalo. He received a bachelor’s degree in Bible from Houghton College in 1969 and then moved to the Chicago area. Rev. Hilliard had a long career and became a sought-after speaker in his own right. He traveled from Nigeria to Thailand carrying his message of racial reconciliation.
Share your story!
Did you or someone you know attend the Malcolm X debate? We invite you to share a memory about what it was like to attend at lib-archives@buffalo.edu
Affiliation(s): Speaker
Biographical File Contains:
- Photographs