The United States embassy in The Gambia, on Monday night, organised a video show on the life and history of Malcolm X, at the Girl Guides hall along the MDI road.

The show which brought together students from the University of The Gambia, among others, showcased the life of Malcolm X, one of America's most famous black nationalist and civil right activists - his troubled childhood, his commitment to the nation of Islam and his pilgrimage to Mecca.

This pilgrimage which was to change Malcolm X's personality, character and social ambition, made him upon his return from Mecca, intensify but along a bit different line his fight for his ideas that whites and blacks should be equal and not separated. Malcolm X, throughout his life has been fighting for the liberty of blacks who were tortured, oppressed, discriminated and brutalised by the whites.

The Afro-American hero was married to a woman called Betty. He was killed during his mission by gunmen, when he was addressing a crowd of blacks for them to fight for their freedom. In an interview with this reporter shortly after the show, Paul A Correa, the vice president of the University Students Union, said the movie has inspired him to make more efforts towards addressing issues affecting blacks.

He said Malcolm X stood for his people and was killed, describing him as a great man who inspired many to fight for the blacks. For her part, Cindy Gregg, deputy chief of Mission at the US embassy, said they organised the show for people to know about the life and history of Malcolm X. She said Malcolm X had fought for blacks to be treated equally as whites and that he had left a great and positive legacy.