“A lot of times when we have these Malcolm X events on campus, people commemorate his life like he lived and he died,” said Syed Jafri, an event coordinator and member of Brothers of the Struggle. “His mission should be (the focus) instead of just the fairy-tale legacy we see of him.”

Jafri said the second annual Malcolm X event he organized on campus followed a theme similar to last year’s event, which focused on Malcolm X’s influence on hip-hop culture.

“We wanted to go with the same type of lecture as last year, but this theme is not as much focused on hip-hop,” he said. “It’s focused more on the black liberation struggle and the Black Panther Party attempting to carry on the message of Malcolm X.”

At the event, Fred Hampton Jr. and Imam Musa spoke about Malcolm X’s influence on the Black Panther Party’s struggle and black liberation.

Hampton, chairman of the national group Prisoners of Conscience Committee, spoke to students about legislation and campaigns his organization has been involved with.

Hampton said his organization feels strongly about carrying on the legacy of Malcolm X and other freedom fighters.

“In a similar spirit to Malcolm X taking his campaign internationally, we too are taking the show internationally,” he said.

Hampton and Musa approached core issues of Malcolm X’s struggle by relating his message to present-day life.

“The truth is his message and his struggle carries on to today, and we have to know how to apply his message to our lives,” Jafri said. “The role of Orthodox Islam influenced (Malcolm X’s) views and showed we need to take that part of his mission into consideration.”

African American Celebratory chairwoman Camilla Nelson said the program is an asset to campus.

“The object of the program is to touch on the role of Islam, anti-terrorism and the Black Panther Party,” said Nelson, a kinesiology senior. “A lot of people don’t know about more detailed information regarding these issues. We have to remind them of the things that got us to the point we are at now.”