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Malik Ismail

The following is a brief outline of Malik Ismail’s experience as an activist, writer, interviewer and community organizer.

 

August 1994 went to Africa visiting both Egypt and Ghana where he found a greater sense of self, especially after meeting with Kwame Ture aka Stokley Carmichael in Ghana. While in Ghana, he visited the W.E.B. DuBois Center for Pan-African Studies in Accra, Ghana. He also met with Akbar Muhammad, International Representative of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam, along with Ismael Muhammad, son of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and leading members of the Original Hebrew Israelites of Dimona, Israel. Having long admired Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali and The Black Panther Party, he dedicated his life’s work to his people. While still in Ghana, he studied Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President and W.E.B. DuBois (both buried in Ghana); he also took the opportunity to visit the “slave” dungeons that were the beginning point of the African Holocaust or Transatlantic Slave Trade as one of the important “slaving ports”.

 

October 1994 after returning from Africa, joined the New African American Vanguard Movement, later changed to the New Panther Vanguard Movement, during its inception and married longtime childhood friend Kathleen LeMelle.

 

March 1995, Malik was named Minister of Information of the NPVM and was the youngest selected for membership on the Vanguard’s Leadership Council. As National Minister of Information, he was the organization’s Chief Propagandist and made plans to help re-issue the Black Panther Intercommunal News Service.

 

June 1995 Malik was chiefly responsible for raising the money to re-establish the Black Panther International News Service in the community (title of paper changed from Intercommunal to International). During his Los Angeles tenure, Malik helped create working coalitions with organizations and political parties like the Nation of Islam, the US Organization, the National People’s Campaign, CAPA- Coalition against Police Abuse, the Latasha Harlins Justice Committee, the Pan-Africanist Congress in South Africa, N-COBRA Reparations Organization, National People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement and the Free Fred Hampton Jr Campaign.

 

August 1996 Malik traveled to South Africa as an emissary for the New Panther Vanguard Movement where he met with Elizabeth and Bongaini Sibeko, widow and son of Pan-Africanist Congress leader David Sibeko along with meeting with Khoisan X, Secretary General of the Pan-Africanist Congress. Established the Soweto Mission for the children of Soweto.

 

May 1997 Malik and Kathleen moved to Atlanta, Georgia where Malik continued to organize for the New Panther Vanguard Movement with the added title of National Eastern Representative of the NPVM. Malik has spoken on platforms with Jesse Jackson, Maxine Waters, Dr. Maulana Karenga, Dr. Khalid Abdul Muhammad and others on a various issues, as well as, college campuses, organizations and rallies. He continued to organize events, food giveaways and Survival programs for the New Panther Vanguard Movement. Malik’s articles appeared in a variety of newspapers and he has been interviewed by many publications as well as having appeared on National Public Radio (NPR), TV appearances and radio programs. He interviewed Akua Njeri (Deborah Johnson), former Chicago Black Panther fiancé’ of assassinated Chicago Black Panther Leader Fred Hampton and mother of activist Fred Hampton Jr. Malik also interviewed former Black Panther leader Elaine Brown, both for the Black Panther International News Service.

 

 After the New Panther Vanguard Movement, Malik Ismail became an international traveler, historian and activist. He’s explored many cultures in Africa including Ghana, South Africa and Egypt. He’s traveled to Cuba and South America. He also visited Rio de Janeiro and Salvador Bahia, Brazil including the favelas of Rocinha and Cidade de Deus (City of God) in Rio, as well as Haiti and the Dominican Republic. His writings have been featured in the San Francisco Bay View Newspaper, Night Beat Magazine, L.A. Watt’s Times, It’s About Time BPP Newsletter, the African Times, Rolling Out Magazine and The Black Panther Intercommunal News Service.

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