[40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks]

40 ACRES AND A MULE/MALCOLM X WORLD TOUR CAST AND CREW ROOTS JACKET

Founded by Spike Lee in 1979, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks is the production company behind every single one of Lee's films, including She's Gotta Have It, Do the Right Thing, and Malcolm X. 

Malcolm X was released in 1992, with the custom jacket offered here hailing from the worldwide 1990-1992 production, with travel from New York to Egypt, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia. The film starred Denzel Washington in the titular role, alongside an all-star cast including Angela Bassett, Bobby Seale, Delroy Lindo, the Reverend Al Sharpton, and Nelson Mandela.

The patch on the right sleeve references Malcolm X's "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech, made on April 3, 1964, in Cleveland, Ohio. In the "The Ballot or the Bullet", Malcolm X argued that African Americans should be sensible and prudent when it comes to voting in public elections, but opined that the threat and/or use of violence may become necessary if the government continues to prevent African Americans from achieving full equality under the law. "The Ballot or the Bullet" is consistently ranked in the Top 10 American speeches of the 20th century.

The jacket offered here is not only a unique piece of film history, but a testament to the never-ending American struggle to live up to the promise of its own ideals.

Provenance:

From the personal collection of Chico-N-Esco

Condition Report:

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