Excerpt:
A day "to commemorate the 90th birthday of Malcolm X, a singular human rights activist and one of the most influential African American leaders in history" is being proposed to the Illinois State legislature by the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC). Malcolm X's birthday on May 19 would be commemorated as a day of service in keeping with the values that Malcolm X represented in his life. Although initiated by the CIOGC, the resolution sees Malcolm X as not only "a Muslim minister," but also as a "public speaker, and human rights activist…a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans in the face of institutionalized racism and an organizer of the African American community…to stand up to inequality and injustice."
The focus of Malcolm X Day will be for all citizens in Illinois to honor the human rights values that he embodied. The CIOGC has a team working on a resolution to be proposed to the state legislature in early May. Currently Illinois State Senator Jackie Collins of the 16th Senate District is the bill's sponsor. Other sponsors are being recruited.