"When I'm traveling around the country, I use my real Muslim name, Malik Shabazz. I make my hotel reservations under that name, and I always see the same thing I've just been telling you. I come to the desk and always see that "here-comes-a-Negro" look. It's kind of a reserved, coldly tolerant cordiality. But when I say "Malik Shabazz," their whole attitude changes: they snap to respect. They think I'm an African. People say what's in a name? There's a whole lot in a name. The American black man is seeing the African respected as a human being. The African gets respect because he has an identity and cultural roots. But most of all because the African owns some land. For these reasons he has his human rights recognized, and that makes his civil rights automatic."

- Malcolm X

El-Hajj Malik al-Shabazz is the spiritual name given to our dear brother and leader, Malcolm X. The Sir Crowns of Malik Sigma Psi heard the great call for dignity, reliance, preservation and self-determination made by this great but humble man. His teachings and essentially his life, provided part of the foundation of our brotherhood and mission. Malcolm's life story exemplified that of a man progressing to be a master of his destiny. He brought to the forefront, issues affecting our communities and society which popular culture preferred to be left in the back alley. He went against the grain with an arrogance that proved how a small seed of truth can destroy a mountain of lies.

The title MALIK in our name pays homage to our Black Shining Prince. The fraternity also forged ties with his dearly departed widow and leader in her own rights, Dr. Betty Shabazz. Dr. Shabazz was fondly known to us as MOTHER MALIK. She gladly provided assistance, advice, and love to our brothers and initiates as she recognized the powerful direction Malik Sigma Psi was heading. Our Princess unfortunately passed on to the ancestral spirits on Monday June 23rd, 1997.

We love, honor, and understand that they are both watching over us dearly.


The following was the eulogy given at Malcolm X's funeral by Mr. Ossie Davis:
"Here, at this final hour, in this quiet place, Harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its brightest hopes. Extinguished now, and gone from us forever. It is not in the memory of man that this beleagured unfortunate but nonetheless proud community has found a braver more gallant young champion than this Afro-American who lie before us unconquered still.

I say the word again as he would want me to- Afro-American, Afro-American Malcolm. Malcolm had stopped being Negro years ago. It had become too small, too puny, too weak a word for him. Malcolm was bigger than that-Malcolm had become an Afro-American, and he wanted so desperately that we, that all his people, would become Afro-Americans too.

There are those who still consider it their duty as friends of the Negro people to tell us to revile him. To flee even from the presence of his memory to save ourselves by writing him out of the history of our turbulent times. And we will smile. They will say that he is full of hate, a fanatic, a racist who can only bring evil to the cause for which you struggle, and we will answer and say unto them, did you ever talk to brother Malcolm? Was he ever himself associated with violence or any public disturbance for if you knew him you would know why we must honor him.

Malcolm was our manhood, our living Black manhood. This was his meaning to his people and in honoring him we honor the best in ourselves. However much we may have ever differed with him or with each other about him and his value as a man let his going from us serve only to bring us together now. Consigning these mortal remains to earth, the common mother of all, secure in the knowledge of what we place in the ground is no more no a man, but a seed which after the winter of our discontent will come forth again to meet us, and we shall know him then for what he was and is, a prince.

Our own black shining prince who didn't hesitate to die because he loved us so."