16l) DA - Malcolm X His Last Speech Program Book - Record Of Speech Pic 2

This is side one of the first disk of a two record set called Malcolm X "The Last Message". "The Last Message" was recorded on February 14, 1965 at the Ford Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan.

This recording is the audio documentation together with an original issue event program booklet that was published to commemorate the awards event that the recording documents on February 14, 1965 at which Malcolm X gave this “last message” just 7 days before his assassination on February 21, 1965. This event occured the very same night that Malcolm X (or El Hajj Malik El Shabazz as was his preferred name at this time) had his home firebombed. According to his own words in the speech that he gave that evening, because of the damage his home suffered that night, he was not wearing his customary coat and tie.

The event at which Malcolm X spoke that night was actually an awards event called the "First Annual Dignity Projection and Scholarships Award Night" sponsored by the Afro American Broadcasting Company. The event was attended by famous people in the African American community such as Rosa Parks, instigator of the 1955 Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott. The event was complete with live music provided by the Dorothy Ashby Trio as well as the Cowell, Martin and Ashton Trio. The night consisted partly of famous persons being honored for their achievements including Rosa Parks, Sidney Poitier, and Marion Anderson. Malcolm X was the scheduled keynote and final speaker for that evening.

From reading page three of this event program it has been determined that the "Afro American Broadcasting Company" was an African American organization that was formed in 1964 primarily to produce radio programs that "met with our approval as spiritually free black people". The organization began in 1964 to produce and distribute its own radio programs about the African American experience to radio stations throughout the northeastern United States. The organization was formed in response to dissatisfaction in the African American community with the content and character of radio programs produced about African Americans on "white radio stations". The purpose of the event held that Valentine's Day in 1965 was to raise money by selling tickets to the event itself. The money was to be used to provide scholarships to Afro American youth to enter the field of "mass communications". Malcolm X was particularly interested in supporting the African American media at this time because he recognized the importance of his speeches being accurately reported to the public by the media which would explain his supporting this organization.

History would determine that this was to be Malcolm X's last major public speech. It was given that night at the Ford Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan on Feb 14, 1965.