Thursday, February 8, 2018

Daughter of Malcolm X to Address Christ the King HS 'Malcolm X Sweater' Controversy


New York, NY -  On February 10 at the National Action Network’s House of Justice, NAN President and Founder of the National Action Network Rev. Al Sharpton will be joined by Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz, as well as Malcolm Xavier Combs, a student at Christ the King High School and member of the National Honor Society. Combs claims he was the victim of discrimination and embarrassment at the hands of high school officials who denied his request to get the name “Malcolm X” on the back of his senior sweater.

The student was pulled of class by school official Veronica Arbitello, who told him that the legendary civil rights activist was “…someone I don’t want to be associated with.” National Action Network Crisis Director Kevin McCall responded by saying, “This is absurd that in 2018 we have to teach school administrators how to be culturally sensitive.” Rev. Sharpton and the Combs family will ask for the Christ the King faculty to receive culture sensitivity training in response to the incident, as well as increase minority staff and embrace cultural diversity.

The House of Justice is located at 106 West 145th Street (at Malcolm X Boulevard) in Harlem. 

The address will be streamed live here beginning at 9:30 a.m. 

Additional information on the incident is available here

Sources: Mercury and The New York Daily News 

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