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'''Malcolm London''' is an American poet, educator, "[[Artivism|artivist]]" and musician.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-poet-activist-malcolm-london-kogan-sidewalks-ent-0418-20170417-column.html|title=Malcolm London is a Chicago poet with places to go and a person to be|last=Kogan|first=Rick|website=chicagotribune.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-12}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://malcolmlondon.com/about/|title=About|website=Malcolm London|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-12}}</ref> |
'''Malcolm London''' is an American poet, educator, "[[Artivism|artivist]]" and musician.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-poet-activist-malcolm-london-kogan-sidewalks-ent-0418-20170417-column.html|title=Malcolm London is a Chicago poet with places to go and a person to be|last=Kogan|first=Rick|website=chicagotribune.com|date=17 April 2017 |language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-12}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://malcolmlondon.com/about/|title=About|website=Malcolm London|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-12}}</ref> |
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== Early |
== Early life == |
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London was born in 1993 and grew up in the west side of Chicago in [[Austin, Chicago|Austin]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wnur.org/interview/interview-with-malcolm-london/|title=Interview with Malcolm London|date=2017-06-29|website=WNUR|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-07}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-xpm-2012-10-12-ct-ae-1014-kogan-sidewalks-20121012-story.html|title=Teen poet thirsts for knowledge|last=Sidewalks|first=Rick Kogan's|website=chicagotribune.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-07}}</ref> He first started writing poems at age 12.<ref name=":1" /> He attended [[Lincoln Park High School (Chicago)|Lincoln Park High School]]. In his sophomore year, London won individual honors at the [[Louder Than a Bomb|Louder Than A Bomb]] youth poetry competition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ebony.com/entertainment/malcolm-london/|title=Malcolm London on Activism and Using Art to Create Change • EBONY|date=2016-11-04|website=EBONY|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-12}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> When he was 20, he gave a [[TED (conference)|TED talk]] where he read a portion of his poem, "High School Training Grounds".<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2"/> |
London was born in 1993 and grew up in the west side of Chicago in [[Austin, Chicago|Austin]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wnur.org/interview/interview-with-malcolm-london/|title=Interview with Malcolm London|date=2017-06-29|website=WNUR|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-07}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-xpm-2012-10-12-ct-ae-1014-kogan-sidewalks-20121012-story.html|title=Teen poet thirsts for knowledge|last=Sidewalks|first=Rick Kogan's|website=chicagotribune.com|date=12 October 2012 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-07}}</ref> He first started writing poems at age 12.<ref name=":1" /> He attended [[Lincoln Park High School (Chicago)|Lincoln Park High School]]. In his sophomore year, London won individual honors at the [[Louder Than a Bomb|Louder Than A Bomb]] youth poetry competition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ebony.com/entertainment/malcolm-london/|title=Malcolm London on Activism and Using Art to Create Change • EBONY|date=2016-11-04|website=EBONY|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-12}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> When he was 20, he gave a [[TED (conference)|TED talk]] where he read a portion of his poem, "High School Training Grounds".<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2"/> |
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After graduating from high school in 2011, London began working for Kevin Coval, a fellow poet and educator who helped create the Louder Than A Bomb poetry festival. London was paid to help with the organization Young Chicago Authors, talking at local schools and running poetry workshops with students in the area.<ref name=":1" /> |
After graduating from high school in 2011, London began working for Kevin Coval, a fellow poet and educator who helped create the Louder Than A Bomb poetry festival. London was paid to help with the organization [[Young Chicago Authors]], talking at local schools and running poetry workshops with students in the area.<ref name=":1" /> |
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== Career == |
== Career == |
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In 2012, London worked with actor [[Matt Damon]] as part of an event called "The People Speak Live!".<ref name=":1" /> He appeared on a television series called "Verses & Flow". He read a poem entitled, "The First Time in a While" which was based on a peer of London's who had been killed in a fight. London was the youngest poet to appear in the first three seasons of the show.<ref name=":1" /> |
In 2012, London worked with actor [[Matt Damon]] as part of an event called "The People Speak Live!".<ref name=":1" /> He appeared on a television series called "Verses & Flow". He read a poem entitled, "The First Time in a While" which was based on a peer of London's who had been killed in a fight. London was the youngest poet to appear in the first three seasons of the show.<ref name=":1" /> |
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London appeared in several TED Talks with [[John Legend]] and [[Bill Gates]], and hosted events and performances with fellow YCA alum Chance the Rapper<ref name="auto" /> and rapper [[Lupe Fiasco]].<ref name="auto2" /> His performances of poetry have taken place at [[Chicago Jazz Festival|the Chicago Jazz Festival]], [[DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center|the Du Sable Museum]], [[The Vic Theatre|the Vic Theater]], The Metro, [[Chicago Theatre|The Chicago Theater]], Victory Gardens Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theater.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/ted-talks-education/speaker/malcolm-london/|title=Poet Malcolm London Performs on TED Talks Education {{!}} PBS|website=TED Talks Education|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-07}}</ref> London was the co-chair of the Chicago chapter of the Black Youth Project<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/ted-talks-education/speaker/malcolm-london/|title=Poet Malcolm London Performs on TED Talks Education {{!}} PBS|website=TED Talks Education|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-12}}</ref> and has done service for Chicago Public Schools.<ref name="auto" /> He was a member of UCAN's National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention.<ref name=":2" /> |
London appeared in several TED Talks with [[John Legend]] and [[Bill Gates]], and hosted events and performances with fellow YCA alum Chance the Rapper<ref name="auto" /> and rapper [[Lupe Fiasco]].<ref name="auto2" /> His performances of poetry have taken place at [[Chicago Jazz Festival|the Chicago Jazz Festival]], [[DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center|the Du Sable Museum]], [[The Vic Theatre|the Vic Theater]], The Metro, [[Chicago Theatre|The Chicago Theater]], Victory Gardens Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theater.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/ted-talks-education/speaker/malcolm-london/|title=Poet Malcolm London Performs on TED Talks Education {{!}} PBS|website=TED Talks Education|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-07}}</ref> London was the co-chair of the Chicago chapter of the [[Black Youth Project 100]]<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/ted-talks-education/speaker/malcolm-london/|title=Poet Malcolm London Performs on TED Talks Education {{!}} PBS|website=TED Talks Education|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-12}}</ref> and has done service for Chicago Public Schools.<ref name="auto" /> He was a member of UCAN's National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention.<ref name=":2" /> |
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Some of London's most famous poems are "High School Training Ground,” "Never Too Late,” “Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day (Love Sosa),” and “Why You Talk Like That.”<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2014/03/18/the-poetry-of-malcolm-london|title=The Poetry Of Malcolm London|website=www.wbur.org|language=en|access-date=2019-05-07}}</ref> |
Some of London's most famous poems are "High School Training Ground,” "Never Too Late,” “Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day (Love Sosa),” and “Why You Talk Like That.”<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2014/03/18/the-poetry-of-malcolm-london|title=The Poetry Of Malcolm London|website=www.wbur.org|date=18 March 2014 |language=en|access-date=2019-05-07}}</ref> |
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== Police |
== Police Encounters == |
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In 2015, |
In 2015, London was arrested at a protest against the [[murder of Laquan McDonald]]. London was a leader in the Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100), a group that helped organize the protests. London suffered a broken finger and filed a lawsuit with the Westside Justice Center.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-03 |title=Chicago Police Release Activist Malcolm London |url=https://www.wbez.org/stories/activist-malcolm-london-is-released-by-chicago-police/2eefffa9-0814-4bf1-b0f0-1cd7d27978c9 |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=WBEZ Chicago |language=en}}</ref> |
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== Sexual |
== Sexual Assaults == |
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In late 2015 a woman named Kyra published an open letter on Facebook alleging that she was sexually assaulted by Malcolm London in her sleep three years prior.<ref name="Bauer">{{cite web | last=Bauer | first=Kelly | title=Malcolm London Dedicated Life to Activism: Now, He's Accused of Sex Assault | website=DNAinfo Chicago | date=2015-12-21 | url=https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151221/austin/malcolm-london-dedicated-his-life-activism-now-hes-accused-of-assault.amp/ | access-date=2024-10-05 |language=en}}</ref> After her account went public, she expressed interest in a community accountability process with London, as the court process that followed past reports had been "equally as traumatizing as the assault itself”.<ref name="Bauer"/> London agreed to a community accountability process with Black Youth Project 100, Kyra, and [[Mariame Kaba]] which began in November 2015.<ref name="@transformharm on Tumblr">{{cite web | title=@transformharm on Tumblr | website=Tumblr | date=2016-02-28 | url=https://www.tumblr.com/transformharm | ref={{sfnref|Tumblr|2016}} | access-date=2024-10-05 |language=en}}</ref> The community accountability (CA) process ended after 15 months after “the goals that had been set for the process were met”.<ref name="@transformharm on Tumblr"/> |
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However, in the following months and years more accounts of sexual assaults came out, most having allegedly occurred before the end of the CA process.<ref name="@transformharm on Tumblr"/> |
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=== 2015 Claims === |
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In 2015, after a social media campaign #FreeMalcolmLondon arose to pressure the [[Chicago Police Department]] to release London from jail, a woman named Kyra called the hashtag traumatizing. In an article on the platform [[Medium (website)|Medium]], Kyra detailed a sexual assault committed by London in 2012. She also stated activists had discouraged her friends from sharing her letter, worrying it would be damaging to the community. She said, "I want to be a bigger part of the movement, I want to join protests, I want to organize, but I can’t do that when the person who hurt me is a figurehead in those spaces." <ref>{{Cite web |last=Klonsky |first=Fred |date=2015-11-25 |title=Jail killer cops. Not Poets. #FreeMalcolmLondon |url=https://preaprez.wordpress.com/2015/11/25/jail-killer-cops-not-poets-freemalcolmlondon/ |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Fred Klonsky |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Malcolm London Dedicated Life to Activism: Now, He's Accused of Sex Assault |url=https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151221/austin/malcolm-london-dedicated-his-life-activism-now-hes-accused-of-assault |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=DNAinfo Chicago}}</ref> |
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In 2019, London was again accused of multiple sexual assaults and he posted an apology on Twitter for one of the assaults and for his failure to abide by the values and practices set by the community accountability process.<ref>{{cite web | title=x.com | website=X (formerly Twitter) | url=https://x.com/MalcolmLondon/status/1094991844080041986/photo/1 | ref={{sfnref|X (formerly Twitter)}} | access-date=2024-10-05}}</ref> In 2020, London was accused of raping a young woman in 2018.<ref name="e789">{{cite web | title=Do You Want To Be Well? | website=Patreon | date=2020-08-20 | url=https://www.patreon.com/posts/do-you-want-to-40666536 | access-date=2024-10-05}}</ref> Subsequently, the survivor from the 2015 community accountability process, Kyra, and one of the facilitators, Mariame Kaba, posted public comments expressing their sorrow, anger, and disappointment that London had continued to harm people.<ref name="@transformharm on Tumblr"/> |
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London participated in a 15-month community accountability process initiated by the survivor and those affected in [[BYP100|Black Youth Project 100]], the activist organization that both were members of. The process was seen as a model for how survivors and perpetrators of sexual violence can heal without involving the police or courts. The process was facilitated by prison abolition and transformative justice activist, [[Mariame Kaba]]. <ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Taylor |date=2021-07-21 |title=A silence louder than words |url=http://chicagoreader.com/news-politics/a-silence-louder-than-words/ |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Chicago Reader |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=transformharm |date=2016-03-01 |title=Community and Organization Accountability Process Update (3/1/16) |url=https://transformharm.tumblr.com/post/140296664386/community-and-organization-accountability-process |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Tumblr}}</ref> |
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London was one of several artists and youth mentors employed by Young Chicago Authors who were accused of sexual assault - including [[Roger Bonair-Agard]],<ref>{{cite web | last=Moore | first=Taylor | title=A silence louder than words | website=Chicago Reader | date=2021-07-21 | url=https://chicagoreader.com/news-politics/a-silence-louder-than-words/ | access-date=2024-10-05}}</ref> leading to [[Chicago Public Schools]] suspending its partnership with Young Chicago Authors in March 2021. This led to investigations by [[Chicago Reader]] that chronicled over 20 years of survivors' accounts of abuse by predators affiliated with YCA.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-06 |title=CPS suspends partnership with Young Chicago Authors after group accused of doing little about sexual assault allegations |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/3/5/22315800/cps-schools-inspector-general-young-chicago-authors-sexual-assault-rebecca-hunter-kevin-coval |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Statement from Button Poetry President & Founder Sam Van Cook |url=https://buttonpoetry.com/ycastatement/ |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=Button Poetry |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Taylor |date=2021-07-21 |title=A silence louder than words |url=http://chicagoreader.com/news-politics/a-silence-louder-than-words/ |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=Chicago Reader |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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=== 2020 Claims === |
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In 2020, another woman and organizer in BYP 100, Juju Bae, posted a public statement saying London raped her in 2018. In the statement, she shared she had to work through feelings that coming forward would be a betrayal to London, and expressed that he had tried to reach out to her multiple times over two years, despite being blocked from her social media accounts. She also named that she had internalized the idea that she was deserving of the abuse from London because she stayed in a relationship with him, despite being raped by him. <ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Bae |first=Juju |title=Do You Want To Be Well? |url=https://www.patreon.com/posts/do-you-want-to-40666536}}</ref> |
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When speaking about hearing of other accusers naming London as abusive she said, <ref name=":4" /> |
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{{Bq|text="I do still, however, feel the need to apologize. There were women before me, who publicly and privately (albeit, not to me personally) named that this person had sexually assaulted them. I knew those things and continued to engage under the premise of “not me,” even though it was already me. I pushed aside very real narratives and the truths of other women. I did this while also trying to make sense of the fact that my story mirrored theirs. I was them. To those women: I do not know any of you personally (and I don’t even know if you’ll see this), but I’m so sorry for not holding more space for your truths...even if just in private or with the person who hurt us. I continue to apologize to myself daily. To all of you, I see you, I believe you, and I pray you are healing well. |
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I was someone who chose (a word I use lightly and carefully) to remain in community with Malcolm knowing his history and public call-outs of rape, while hoping to be a positive influence in his life (another role that I witness many Black women inhabit) . However, in doing that, I neglected to truly be in community with him. Hardly anyone knew that he raped me, but many people knew about others. When we choose to hold space and remain in relationships with people that we know have repeatedly hurt others (and sometimes with little remorse or honest apology), those actions then become communal responsibility."}} |
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In response to the statement, fellow YCA alum, [[Chance the Rapper]], tweeted, <ref>{{Cite web |last=Walden |first=Tiffany |date=2020-12-28 |title=Black Folks Can't Get No Rest • The TRiiBE |url=https://thetriibe.com/2020/12/black-folks-cant-get-no-rest/ |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=The TRiiBE |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tw: Also I hope all of Malcolm London’s victims get their justice. At this point there are too many stories about dude, and the severity of each one is getting worse. I can’t vouch for him at all and hope all these stories get amplified. |url=https://twitter.com/chancetherapper/status/1297188726578262017 |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Twitter |language=en}}</ref> |
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{{Bq|text=“Tw: Also I hope all of Malcolm London’s victims get their justice. At this point there are too many stories about dude, and the severity of each one is getting worse. I can’t vouch for him at all and hope all these stories get amplified.”}} |
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=== Reactions by Participants of Initial Accountability Process === |
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Shortly after, Kaba, the facilitator of London's accountability process from November 2015 to March 2017, commented: <ref>{{Cite web |last=transformharm |date=2020-08-19 |title=Statement by Mariame (8/19/20) |url=https://transformharm.tumblr.com/post/626907682811576320/statement-by-mariame-81920 |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Tumblr}}</ref> |
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{{Bq|text="I am deeply disappointed and angry that Malcolm hasn’t taken accountability for his violent behavior and actually done the promised work to changed it. Accountability is not only about self-reflection, apology and repair for a particular incident. It is also making sure not to repeat the same behavior. On that front, he has failed. Many people have invested countless hours and emotional labor to support Malcolm in taking full accountability. Unfortunately, he has let them down. He has also given critics of CA processes fodder which is enraging because having facilitated several processes over the years, I know their value and importance particularly for people who can’t and/or don’t want to engage the corrupt & violent criminal legal system. CA processes are overwhelmingly facilitated by survivors because we know that we cannot live without our lives. It’s a double-betrayal when people who’ve caused harm refuse to take accountability by changing their behavior after so much investment of time and labor by survivors. |
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This is all I’ll have to say on this subject for the foreseeable future. I continue to believe in and practice transformative justice (of which CA processes are one component). Let the focus for today be on the courageous survivors who have come forward to share their experiences of sexual violence. However, and this will be counter-intuitive to some, we also need those who are part of Malcolm’s current accountability team to lean into this moment to reduce future harm. Because if everyone cuts ties in this moment, community safety will be further compromised. None of us can be bystanders. We all have a role to play in ending sexual violence. This is a collective responsibility. I’ll continue to do my part."}} |
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The first woman, Kyra, to publicly state that London had raped her commented: <ref>{{Cite web |last=transformharm |date=2020-08-19 |title=Statement by Kyra (8/19/20) |url=https://transformharm.tumblr.com/post/626904983470735360/statement-by-kyra-81920 |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Tumblr}}</ref> |
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{{Bq|text="I refuse to sugarcoat how angry and hurt I am that after a year and a half long accountability process, Malcolm made the choice to continue raping Black women. So many people, including Mariame Kaba and myself, poured hundreds of hours of labor into him out of the kindness of our hearts and a commitment to ending carceral justice. The process had many goals, but the main hope was that at the very least Malcolm wouldn’t rape anyone else. That was the bare minimum and I am beyond incensed that he couldn’t even do that much. I made the choice to engage in a 15-month process with my rapist not for Malcolm’s sake, but for the safety of other Black women. |
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For Malcolm to continue to attack Black women in the exact same way that he attacked me is a slap to the face to me, to everyone who worked to re-educate him and hold him accountable, to the movement of transformative justice, to the movement to abolish police and prisons, and to Black survivors around the world. Malcolm has failed so many people. |
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However, despite the outrage I feel towards Malcolm, I am still incredibly thankful that I engaged in the transformative justice process. Contrary to the belief of some Twitter trolls, I didn’t do the process to “save” Malcolm. I did it to save myself. The process gave me support. It pushed me to finally start to heal from the hurt I had been carrying silently for years. It connected me with Mariame, who I love so dearly and still speak to regularly. It radicalized me in new ways and gave me the opportunity to learn about prison abolition from the lens of how it would benefit survivors. It helped me imagine what a world without police and prisons could look like, where we prioritize care for the most harmed and marginalized. |
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Transformative justice did not fail. Malcolm did."}} |
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=== 2020 Free Write Arts & Literacy Complicity === |
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In 2020, despite widely published allegations against London, [[Roger Bonair-Agard]] attempted to hire Malcolm London as a teaching artist for Free Write Arts & Literacy, an organization that serves incarcerated and criminalized youth. Bonair-Agard had also been accused of sexual abuse multiple times, as early as 2013, but still worked for Free Write up until 2020. From 2011 to 2013, Bonair-Agard acted as a mentor for London at Young Chicago Authors. <ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=chroniclesofaveganbodybuilder |title=A statement regarding Roger Bonair-Agard, sexual assault, and Young Chicago Authors |url=https://chroniclesofaveganbodybuilder.tumblr.com/post/98275934758/a-statement-regarding-roger-bonair-agard-sexual |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Tumblr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Statement About Roger Bonair-Agard |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oCg56NlywdB3hbQ1D9rOYv3gfSi2ti2BV7-PASGWS8k/edit?usp=embed_facebook |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Google Docs |language=en}}</ref><ref>Johnson, Javon (2017). ''Killing poetry : blackness and the making of slam and spoken word communities''. New Brunswick. [[ISBN (identifier)|ISBN]] [[Special:BookSources/978-0-8135-8004-3|<bdi>978-0-8135-8004-3</bdi>]]. [[OCLC (identifier)|OCLC]] 1000521339.</ref> |
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=== 2021 Young Chicago Authors Complicity === |
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Since 2011, London had worked with [[Kevin Coval]] who led Young Chicago Authors, an organization that empowers youth to build self-expression and literacy through creative writing, performance and publication. According to Chicago Reader, "London was considered by many to be Coval’s favorite mentee—he even lived in Coval’s spare bedroom for some time." <ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=What the White Boy Wants |url=https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/April-2017/Kevin-Coval/ |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Chicago Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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In March 2021, [[Chicago Public Schools]] suspended its partnership with Young Chicago Authors, due to the allegations against Bonair-Agard and London, as well as outcries from the poetry community. This included a statement from the president of [[Button Poetry]], alleging that leadership, namely Koval, within the YCA organization knew Bonair-Agard, London, and other YCA affiliates, were dangerous and did not act. This triggered journalism by [[Chicago Reader]] that logged two decades of survivors' accounts of abuse by predators affiliated with YCA.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-06 |title=CPS suspends partnership with Young Chicago Authors after group accused of doing little about sexual assault allegations |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/3/5/22315800/cps-schools-inspector-general-young-chicago-authors-sexual-assault-rebecca-hunter-kevin-coval |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>"Statement from Button Poetry President & Founder Sam Van Cook". ''Button Poetry''. Retrieved 2023-01-23.</ref> |
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== References == |
== References == |
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{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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Latest revision as of 19:29, 5 October 2024
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Malcolm London is an American poet, educator, "artivist" and musician.[1][2]
Early life
[edit]London was born in 1993 and grew up in the west side of Chicago in Austin.[3][4] He first started writing poems at age 12.[4] He attended Lincoln Park High School. In his sophomore year, London won individual honors at the Louder Than A Bomb youth poetry competition.[5][4] When he was 20, he gave a TED talk where he read a portion of his poem, "High School Training Grounds".[3][6]
After graduating from high school in 2011, London began working for Kevin Coval, a fellow poet and educator who helped create the Louder Than A Bomb poetry festival. London was paid to help with the organization Young Chicago Authors, talking at local schools and running poetry workshops with students in the area.[4]
Career
[edit]In 2012, London worked with actor Matt Damon as part of an event called "The People Speak Live!".[4] He appeared on a television series called "Verses & Flow". He read a poem entitled, "The First Time in a While" which was based on a peer of London's who had been killed in a fight. London was the youngest poet to appear in the first three seasons of the show.[4]
London appeared in several TED Talks with John Legend and Bill Gates, and hosted events and performances with fellow YCA alum Chance the Rapper[1] and rapper Lupe Fiasco.[2] His performances of poetry have taken place at the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Du Sable Museum, the Vic Theater, The Metro, The Chicago Theater, Victory Gardens Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theater.[6] London was the co-chair of the Chicago chapter of the Black Youth Project 100[7] and has done service for Chicago Public Schools.[1] He was a member of UCAN's National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention.[6]
Some of London's most famous poems are "High School Training Ground,” "Never Too Late,” “Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day (Love Sosa),” and “Why You Talk Like That.”[8]
Police Encounters
[edit]In 2015, London was arrested at a protest against the murder of Laquan McDonald. London was a leader in the Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100), a group that helped organize the protests. London suffered a broken finger and filed a lawsuit with the Westside Justice Center.[9]
Sexual Assaults
[edit]In late 2015 a woman named Kyra published an open letter on Facebook alleging that she was sexually assaulted by Malcolm London in her sleep three years prior.[10] After her account went public, she expressed interest in a community accountability process with London, as the court process that followed past reports had been "equally as traumatizing as the assault itself”.[10] London agreed to a community accountability process with Black Youth Project 100, Kyra, and Mariame Kaba which began in November 2015.[11] The community accountability (CA) process ended after 15 months after “the goals that had been set for the process were met”.[11]
However, in the following months and years more accounts of sexual assaults came out, most having allegedly occurred before the end of the CA process.[11]
In 2019, London was again accused of multiple sexual assaults and he posted an apology on Twitter for one of the assaults and for his failure to abide by the values and practices set by the community accountability process.[12] In 2020, London was accused of raping a young woman in 2018.[13] Subsequently, the survivor from the 2015 community accountability process, Kyra, and one of the facilitators, Mariame Kaba, posted public comments expressing their sorrow, anger, and disappointment that London had continued to harm people.[11]
London was one of several artists and youth mentors employed by Young Chicago Authors who were accused of sexual assault - including Roger Bonair-Agard,[14] leading to Chicago Public Schools suspending its partnership with Young Chicago Authors in March 2021. This led to investigations by Chicago Reader that chronicled over 20 years of survivors' accounts of abuse by predators affiliated with YCA.[15][16][17]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Kogan, Rick (17 April 2017). "Malcolm London is a Chicago poet with places to go and a person to be". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
- ^ a b "About". Malcolm London. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
- ^ a b "Interview with Malcolm London". WNUR. 2017-06-29. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
- ^ a b c d e f Sidewalks, Rick Kogan's (12 October 2012). "Teen poet thirsts for knowledge". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
- ^ "Malcolm London on Activism and Using Art to Create Change • EBONY". EBONY. 2016-11-04. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
- ^ a b c "Poet Malcolm London Performs on TED Talks Education | PBS". TED Talks Education. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
- ^ "Poet Malcolm London Performs on TED Talks Education | PBS". TED Talks Education. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
- ^ "The Poetry Of Malcolm London". www.wbur.org. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
- ^ "Chicago Police Release Activist Malcolm London". WBEZ Chicago. 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
- ^ a b Bauer, Kelly (2015-12-21). "Malcolm London Dedicated Life to Activism: Now, He's Accused of Sex Assault". DNAinfo Chicago. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
- ^ a b c d "@transformharm on Tumblr". Tumblr. 2016-02-28. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
- ^ "x.com". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 2024-10-05.
- ^ "Do You Want To Be Well?". Patreon. 2020-08-20. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
- ^ Moore, Taylor (2021-07-21). "A silence louder than words". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
- ^ "CPS suspends partnership with Young Chicago Authors after group accused of doing little about sexual assault allegations". Chicago Sun-Times. 2021-03-06. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Statement from Button Poetry President & Founder Sam Van Cook". Button Poetry. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ Moore, Taylor (2021-07-21). "A silence louder than words". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
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