Malcolm vs. Farmer
The most well known of the debates Farmer had with Malcolm X took place on the show 'Open Mind', broadcast on PBS June 12, 1963.(32)

Numerically the chips were stacked against Malcolm as there were two others on the show representing the moderate position of the civil rights movement. There is the sense at times this was aided by the moderator in trying to put the 'young whipper snapper' in his place.

Farmer and Malcolm went toe to toe, tit for tat, but at times there was almost a playful back and forth. Overwhelmed on the issue of employment, Malcolm did make a point about CORE only being successful in getting a few jobs for Blacks in the short term. He was made to look clueless in discussing the fact that Puerto Ricans faced similar forms of discrimination, but scored when he stated White Americans' concepts of Christian love and democratic equality were not to be believed because history showed them to be hypocritical.

Malcolm's body language suggested a lack of confidence at times in dealing with Farmer. The way he leaned over while sitting suggests that he again respectfully deferred somewhat to the veteran activist. While this was another meeting in which Farmer got the best of him, but even Farmer would eventually admit his debates with Malcolm would have a "considerable impact" on him.

As with Rustin, Malcolm may have had a different opinion in public of Farmer than he did in private. Malcolm frequently stated in many of his speeches Black men who were married to White women could not be legitimate leaders in the movement. This implies he was indirectly referring to Farmer whose wife Lula was White. In his speech, 'Message to the Grassroots', delivered on Nov. 10, 1963, Malcolm X continued his harsh criticism of Farmer as one of the 'Big Six' who he repeatedly referred to as Uncle Toms and 'negro leaders' (as opposed to 'Black Leaders') that were selling out the Black revolution. While he name checked Farmer at least twice in the speech, his most vindictive criticism was aimed towards Dr. King, Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young and A. Phillip Randolph for their roles in the March on Washington, an event he knew Farmer was not able to attend because Farmer was imprisoned in Louisana at the time for taking part in a demonstration.(33)

According to Farmer, the two agreed to no longer debate out of respect for each others skills.(34) Their relationship became cordial enough that Malcolm was even a guest at Farmer's home. In his biography of Malcolm X, Prof. Manning Marable portrays Farmer as being somewhat frightened, maybe even offended that Malcolm brought along James 67X as a 'bodyguard'. James 67X recounted in a later interview a more pleasant encounter in which Lula Farmer served them coffee and cookies and then dutifully retired to another room so the Black men could have their discussion.(35)

Agreeing to no longer debate may have saved them both from bigger problems. In his December 20, 1964 speech at the Audubon, Malcolm spoke about items in the press which stated Farmer was going to Africa to 'correct false statements made by Black nationalist leader Malcolm X' after his own travels throughout the continent.(36) When he called Farmer, he denied it. Malcolm interpreted this as a case where the White press (perhaps being prodded by agencies of the government) were trying to turn the two against each other.

Malcolm's attitude shifted after he returned from Africa, a change which he attributed to his experience in Mecca, and he decided to work within the civil rights movement to effect change. An OAAU press release from January 1965, titled "Malcolm X Supports Mississippi Challenge" states:
We applaud the efforts of James Farmer and the other Civil Rights groups to block the seating of the five illegal representatives from Mississippi when Congress convenes on January 4. We are pleased to see that Mr. Farmer and his Civil Rights colleagues are so dead-earnest in backing the election challenges that have been initiated by the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.(37)

Immediately after Malcolm X's assassination, Farmer publicly stated he was not convinced that Elijah Muhammad or the NOI had anything to do with the killing and that it 'ran deeper' than that. He was wrong about members of the NOI not being involved. Other scholars point out that Farmer was one of the first to correctly suggest that Malcolm's assassination was part of a political conspiracy that went far beyond his problems with the NOI.(38) To his discredit, he also stated Malcolm's assassination may have had something to do with the Mafia and the international narcotics trade because of his speeches against drug dealing in Black communities like Harlem.(39)

>>>> Part 5 <<<<

>>>> footnotes part 2 <<<<