Set on the path of activism, but beset with a series of personal as well as political issues, the Henrys and Cleages searched for a different approach. The inspiration for a new direction came from two individuals. On one hand was Malcolm X, perhaps one of the most important political thinkers, sources of inspiration, and organizational facilitators in U.S. history, whose influence was only hindered by his assassination. On the other hand was Robert F. Williams, today much less well known than Malcolm but, in his time, perhaps one of the most important African American leaders in the United States. This chapter tells the story of the influence of these two men and the formation of the RNA.

The Malcolm X Effect

On November 10, 1963, a month after the creation of the Freedom Now Party, the Henry-Cleage group pulled together a conference intended to counter the activities undertaken by the better-financed, better-publicized Detroit Council for Human Rights leadership conference run by the Reverend C. L. Franklin. This event drew on the actions and connections not only of the Henrys and the Cleages but also of others from the community, for example, Reverend Milton Galamison, leader of an employment nongovernmental organization in Brooklyn; Sam Jordan, a candidate for Detroit mayor; and William Worthy, the FNP national chairperson. No individual, however, would be as important as Malcolm X (the keynote speaker), who had been drawn to the event by his friend Milton Henry.