Malcolm X spent his formative years and some of his most critical post-prison years in Michigan and was widely known in social circles as “Detroit Red”- a name that tied him to the Great Lakes State and to the Motor City, more specifically. And while Malcolm lived in many cities, he claimed Detroit as his own. In one of his final speeches, a week before he was assassinated, Malcolm talked about his time in Metro Detroit, where he endured both local and federal surveillance and where he endured personal lows as well as major personal and professional achievements. It is these experiences- at the local level- that will constitute the basis of this talk.

Dr. Tareq A. Ramadan is an adjunct professor of Anthropology and Near Eastern Studies at Wayne State University and at Henry Ford College. In 2016, he created and taught a course titled “Islam in America: A History”, with a special focus on Malcolm X and since that time, has initiated and/or directly participated in various efforts designed to ensure Malcolm X’s visibility in the public realm in and around Detroit. This includes co-founding the Malcolm X House Historic Preservation Project, launching efforts to name an auditorium at Wayne State after Malcolm, landing a historical marker at his former Inkster residence, founding the Malcolm X Leadership Award (a Wayne State student award he personally funded for years), while also landing a nearly $400,000 federal grant to renovate and restore the very home Malcolm lived in.

Tareq also worked closely with the Detroit Pistons (who donated $5,000 to the student award) and Malcolm X’s Legacy Estate to help launch a special “Detroit Red” 100^th birthday anniversary tribute project for Malcolm. Today, Tareq is nearing the completion of a book manuscript focusing on Malcolm X’s life in and around Detroit.