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Crosscurrents
Crosscurrents is our award-winning radio news magazine, broadcasting Mondays through Thursdays at 11 a.m. on 91.7 FM. We make joyful, informative stories that engage people across the economic, social, and cultural divides in our community. Listen to full episodes at kalw.org/crosscurrents

Malcolm X and Tahseen Bashir: A Fateful Friendship

Malcom X, painted portrait
thierry ehrmann/ Flickr Creative Commons
Malcom X, painted portrait

This story first aired on May 18, 2022 and it aired again most recently in the February 21, 2024 episode of Crosscurrents.

It took me some time to figure him out…but the part that I figured out was this man had leadership qualities and he’s looking for answers to many questions in his mind
Tahseen Bashir

Today marks 59 years since the assassination of the man known as Malcolm X. He is most widely associated with his work in Harlem, but the Bay Area mattered to him. He gave speeches in San Francisco, and Oakland, and the University of California-Berkeley. And it's here where Malcom X cemented an important friendship with Egyptian diplomat Tahseen Bashir. For Bashir, Malcolm X was the rare leader who had more questions than answers.

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Crosscurrents CrosscurrentsBlack History
Sunni M. Khalid is a veteran of more than 40 years in journalism, having worked in print, radio, television, and web journalism.