The Night Malcolm X Spoke at the Oxford Union

My reason for being here is to discuss the Black revolution that is going on, that's taking place on this earth, the manner in which it's taking place on the African continent, and the impact that it's having in Black communities, not only here in America but in England and in France and in other of the former colonial powers today. -Malcolm X, rally in Rochester, New York, February 16, 1965

Just as in Africa and the Middle East, Malcolm X's trip to Oxford, and his travels in France and then England more generally, challenged his thinking. That was his intention. Although he was invited to Britain to give public lectures and was never short of comments for the media, in private meetings he preferred to ask questions, and he loved to observe local people, his camera ever at the ready. In Paris, he sought out Africans in the cafes.17 In Birmingham, he visited a pub on a street where immigrants now lived. Legend has it that the strict Muslim ordered a pint.18 In Oxford, he met with students over cups of tea and in discussion groups-and to their surprise, he plied them with questions. Indeed, he particularly enjoyed his time on British campuses. "I love to hear from students, especially their ideas and opinions and conclusions," he wrote to one admirer from Sheffield (who had addressed her letter "Malcolm X, OAAU, Harlem, New York" and asked the mailman to forward "by any means necessary"). Hearing from students "adds to my own understanding. "19