Channeling Malcolm X: These Modern Torchbearers…
If Malcolm X had been right here to see his a centesimal birthday, as we speak May 19, 2025, there’s no doubt he’d be watching as we speak’s world with one eyebrow raised and his finger firmly on the heart beat of the tradition. The query isn’t whether or not his affect still exists, it’s who’s carrying it, and how.
Source: Interim Archives
While Malcolm’s bodily voice was silenced in 1965, his philosophies? Still talking. Still resonating. Still being remixed into motion—not just in protests, but in poetry, coverage, playlists, and platforms.
In 2025, carrying Malcolm’s torch doesn’t all the time appear like standing behind a podium. Sometimes, it seems like grabbing the mic, organizing a e book drive, or flipping a system from the inside out. These are the creatives, commentators, and culture-shapers who don’t just honor Malcolm’s message—they channel it.
Noname: Revolution In A Soft Voice
Don’t let the identify idiot you—Noname has one of the clearest political voices of this technology.
Born Fatimah Warner on the South Side of Chicago, she rose to prominence in the indie rap scene for her poetic supply and refusal to play industry video games. But it’s her transition from lyricist to liberation-minded organizer that locations her in dialog with Malcolm X.
In 2019, Noname launched the Noname Book Club, a community-centered project that distributes books by radical Black thinkers—many of them banned in prisons—to incarcerated readers. The studying record typically consists of texts by James Baldwin, Angela Davis, Frantz Fanon, and yes, Malcolm X. She’s not just studying him; she’s making use of him.
While some celebrities pivot to activism for aesthetics, Noname walked away from the highlight to construct one thing off-stage. She’s been vocal about rejecting the commodification of Black ache and the capitalist lure of mainstream fame. Her discomfort with the celeb machine—particularly as it relates to state violence, Black capitalism, and political co-optation—looks like a continuation of the identical warning Malcolm gave when he spoke about media manipulation and performative allyship.
Though her supply is commonly quiet—spoken in breathy tones over jazz beats—her affect cuts deep. She challenges celeb tradition, calls out performative activism, and calls for more of her followers and listeners, all while staying rooted in the communities she serves.
Like Malcolm, Noname isn’t for everybody. She’s for the people.
Killer Mike: Carrying The Torch With A Raised Fist
Michael Render—higher recognized as Killer Mike—has long positioned himself as a modern-day griot, weaving collectively the threads of Black historical past, resistance, and empowerment through his music and activism. His reverence for Malcolm X just isn’t only evident in his public statements but also deeply embedded in his creative and political endeavors.
In a 2015 tweet, Killer Mike wrote, “Happy Malcolm X day. He has had such a profound influence on my life. He led me to nationalism…”
Killer Mike’s 2012 album R.A.P. Music (Rebellious African People Music) serves as a sonic manifesto that channels Malcolm X’s spirit of defiance and self-determination. Tracks like “Reagan” ship scathing critiques of systemic oppression, echoing Malcolm’s unflinching evaluation of American society and its political theater.
Beyond music, Killer Mike has made financial justice his calling card. He co-founded Greenwood, a digital banking platform tailor-made to help Black and Latinx communities. The purpose? Recirculate wealth, tackle generational disenfranchisement, and promote financial self-sufficiency—ideas Malcolm X stood on when he advocated for Black-owned companies and financial independence.
Following his 2024 Grammy arrest, Mike went on The View and reminded the world, “All of my heroes have been in handcuffs—Malcolm, Martin, Mandela, Medgar.” Clearly, he sees himself strolling in their legacy. Through his speeches, investments, and lyrics, Killer Mike has modernized Malcolm’s playbook—unapologetic Blackness, powered by strategy.
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