In honor of Black History Month, MSU hosted its fifth annual Malcolm X Muslim Studies Community Forum on Jan. 21. The event, organized by the Muslim Studies Program, featured remarks by Yusef Salaam, a New York City Council member and member of the Exonerated “Central Park” Five, and concluded with a book signing for his memoir, “Better, Not Bitter: Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice.”

Director of the Muslim Studies Program and Religious Studies Professor Mohammad Khalil emphasized the significance of the forum’s name and Malcolm X’s work.

“Malcolm X is one of the most influential figures in U.S. history and perhaps the most influential U.S. Muslim of all time,” Khalil said. “What is more, many people don’t realize that he grew up in the Greater Lansing area and would return often and, on Jan. 23, 1963, Malcolm X spoke at the Erickson Kiva — the site of our annual Malcolm X forum.”

Students, faculty, staff and community members filled the Erickson Kiva to attend the event and learn from the speakers. The crowd size for this event alone was enough to make Nazifa Begum, vice president of external affairs for the Muslim Students Association, feel more supported and connected to the campus community as a Muslim student.

“It was validating to know that Muslim voices and histories are valued enough to draw such engagement within the campus community,” Begum said. “Additionally, as a student leader, it was a reminder that my contribution to creating meaningful spaces is really important because when those spaces exist, people show up, and that support makes a real difference for Muslim students on campus.”

The Exonerated Five are five Black and Latino men who were wrongly convicted as teenagers of the 1989 assault of a jogger in New York City’s Central Park. After serving five to 11 years, their convictions were overturned based on DNA evidence and a confession from the assailant. At the event, Salaam spoke about what the Exonerated Five endured and how his faith helped him remain steadfast in calling out societal injustices.

“I hope this event makes folks curious to learn more about both Malcolm X and Dr. Salaam,” Kahlil said. “It's important that their stories not be forgotten.”