By Damon Fordham, republished with permission  |  Mr. James Campbell, who taught adult education with Malcolm X in the Organization of Afro American Unity, has passed at the age of 96.

I learned a lot from this man. Here are some of his gems of wisdom.

“You give a youngster the power of reading and you’ve put the world in his hands. You must read the literature of the world.  Then you can sort out what is garbage and what are gems.”

During President [Barack] Obama’s initial campaign, I complained to him about the large numbers of Black people who dismissed his run as folly. He replied, “Damon, you must remember that the experiences of many of our people has left behind a culture of despair that will take much work to overcome.”