The Workplace of Council District 10 in partnership with the Basis for Arts, Mentorship, Management, and Innovation took a historic step in cementing the legacy of civil rights icon Malcolm X by unveiling road indicators co-naming a five-mile stretch of Crenshaw Boulevard because the Malcolm X Route.
The ceremony, held on Saturday, Might 17, on the nook of Crenshaw and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevards in Leimert Park, kicked off a daylong tribute in celebration of what would have been Malcolm X’s a hundredth birthday.
Councilwoman Heather Hutt led the initiative and stood entrance and heart in the course of the unveiling. “He was a truth-teller, unafraid to talk uncomfortable truths,” she proclaimed.
“His dedication to human rights transcends borders, connecting the American wrestle to the worldwide actions for social justice,” she continued.
Whereas the route was formally co-named in 2023, marked by a ceremony that includes Congresswoman Maxine Waters, this 2025 occasion marked the full-scale dedication of all road signage alongside the five-mile stretch.
The renaming stretches from the ten Freeway to 79th Avenue, slicing by means of South L.A. neighborhoods that also mirror the spirit of Malcolm X, communities formed by his enduring messages of racial justice, self-determination, and unity.
Alongside the route, the Malcolm X Method intersects with a number of important landmarks, together with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, a serious east-west thoroughfare; Obama Boulevard, renamed in 2019 to honor the nation’s first Black president; and Nipsey Hussle Sq. on the intersection of Crenshaw and Slauson, which commemorates the late rapper and neighborhood visionary.
The ceremony introduced collectively metropolis leaders, neighborhood councils, grassroots organizers, and legacy keepers.
Torrence Brannon-Reese, founding father of FAMLI, Inc., urged attendees to channel Malcolm’s legacy into motion. “The rationale that we talked to the brothers about Malcolm is as a result of Malcolm didn’t go to highschool. Malcolm went to the eighth grade, and after that, the loss of life of his father precipitated his life to vary tremendously,” he stated. “I’ve younger brothers proper now who’re younger Malcolms arising, whose lives are in want of assist proper now.”
With only one breath the tone shifted from commemoration to call-to-action. “I’m calling for each brother who says something about social justice, something about racism, something about Trump and Elon Musk to affix with us, to mentor younger Black and brown boys who want our assist proper now. In any other case, shut your mouth. Don’t complain. Become involved.”
In the course of the 2023 ceremonies Congresswoman Maxine Waters stated she knew Malcolm X and that he fought for the dignity and equality of Black folks. “He stated you’re vital, you’re particular, you’re to be revered, and you’re to combat for it.”
Crenshaw Boulevard now bears the identify Malcolm X, a five-mile stretch that honors his lifelong combat for Black empowerment and satisfaction. At its intersection with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, two civil rights giants meet in geography and legacy. It is a reclaimed narrative.
Following the disclosing, the thirty third Annual Malcolm X Pageant remodeled Leimert Park right into a community-wide celebration featured stay music, spoken phrase, meals, style, and academic panels. With the theme “Human Rights, By Any Means Needed,” the occasion honored Malcolm X in reminiscence and in movement, drawing tons of of attendees.
