TAKE THIS X: The OAAU @ 50

"Take this X...and turn it into a revolution!" -- Archie Shepp, "Poem for Malcolm" (1969)

When he was assassinated February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was launching a new movement to reframe the struggles of black Americans in the context of global human rights. To honor the 50 years since his death, more than two dozen artists, writers, activists and educators are launching an act of radical historical revisionism: What if Malcolm X had lived and his Organization of Afro-American Unity had evolved into a powerful political entity? For one month beginning February 21, 2015, the exact 50-year anniversary of Malcolm’s death, TAKE THIS X will occupy vacant retail space at the landmarked Theresa Towers in Harlem, the former Hotel Theresa where Malcolm X and the OAAU had offices at the end of his life. Using the goals of Malcolm’s vision for the OAAU as inspiration, this immersive art and educational experience rewrites 50 years of black political history inviting visitors to imagine a new past, a new present, and a new future.

February 11-18: project installed in storefront; Feb 18:  press preview; Feb 21: Open house to launch project; Feb 21 – March 21: public programs in the space including structured visits for court-involved youth; weekly “Liberations Schools” each Saturday modeled on those held by the OAAU; readings, discussions, screenings, and performances. March 22: closing ceremony for project; March 23-30 de-installation

By activating vacant retail space at a historically significant location upon an important anniversary, this project offers an unprecedented opportunity for intergenerational audiences to examine the meaning of Malcolm X's legacy for our community and our times.