MALCOLM X: WE'RE IN A POLICE STATE

Today marks 59 years since Malcolm X was assassinated. But about 62 years ago, the human-rights defender delivered this fiery speech that remains relevant.

Africans in the United States live in a police state intent on criminalising us for our very existence. We are routinely shot and maimed, and then blamed for our own deaths. While our loved ones pray that the innocent victims of grotesque violence rest in peace, the media ensures we do not. After our people are brutally killed, character assassinations begin.

Meanwhile, Hollywood and the US music industry work hard to propagate violent images of Africans, both in the US and worldwide. Many rappers have come forward to talk about how the multibillion-dollar music industry offers better contracts to artists who use violent lyrics. This is then used to depict our culture as inherently violent, which justifies over-policing and mass incarceration.

Can you see where we're coming from? Let us know.