One thing that I became aware of in my traveling recently through Africa and the Middle East, in every country that you go to, usually the degree of progress can never be separated from the woman.

Malcolm X with
Maya Angelou
Ghana, May 1964
(Photo: Laurence
Henry)

If you are in country that's progressive, the woman is pro-gressive. If you are in a country that reflects the con-sciousness toward the importance of education, it is because the woman is aware of the importance of educa-tion. But in every backward country you'll find the women are backward, and in every country where education is not stressed it's because the women don't have education.

So one of the things I became thoroughly convinced of in my recent travels is the importance of giving freedom to the woman, giving her education, and giving her the incentive to get out there and put that same spirit and understanding in the children. And I frankly am proud of the contributions that our women have made in the struggle for freedom, and I'm one person who's for giving them all of the leeway possible, because they have made a greater contribution than many of us men.

And one of the best way that they can help is to encourage the man, try and inspire him to be more militant, and turn him away from being nonviolent, passive ... and uncle Tomish - make him aware of that the black woman wants to see her man be a man, instead of around here using religion as an excuse to be a coward and some of the things he has been reflecting here lately.