By Asia Rollins
A Lincoln-based artist whose work amplifies the voices of marginalized groups will design and create a bust of Malcolm X, also known as Malcolm Little and El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, which will be placed inside the Nebraska State Capitol this year. The Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission and the Nebraska Arts Council selected ceramic artist Nathan Murray to create a bust of the Omaha native and civil rights activist for the Nebraska Hall of Fame. After a national search last year, Murray was selected as the artist for the project.
“It’s such an important piece, and it’s an important piece to get right too,” Murray said. “It needs to look like Malcolm, and it needs to represent him in a way that projects who he was.”
Malcolm X is the first Black person to be inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame. He will officially become a member this spring. The date of dedication for the bust is May 22 at 1 p.m. at the State Capitol, and the event is open to the public.
Though Malcolm X will soon have a spot in the State Capitol, this isn’t the first-time community members and organizations have pushed for him to be added to the Hall of Fame. Malcolm X was first nominated for the Hall of Fame in 2004, and the second nomination was in 2007. In 2022, the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission chose Malcolm X to be the next member of the Nebraska Hall of Fame.
“First and foremost, I want people to see the piece and become more interested in who Malcolm was and what he did,” he said. “I want people to look at him and see an educated, well-spoken and law-abiding man engaged with them doing what he did, which was teach. I want people to get a sense of that when they look at the piece.”
Murray’s lifelike clay sculptures often focus on contemporary issues related to race, identity and culture. His work has been exhibited nationally and featured in various media publications. Murray is an Omaha native and earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2009. In 2015, he earned his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Florida.
A man with courage and vision
In addition to being a prominent civil rights activist, Malcolm X was also a minister and national spokesperson for the Nation of Islam (NOI). In 1925, he was born Malcolm Little at the University Hospital in Omaha, Neb. While Malcolm X was still a child, his family relocated to Lansing, Mich. due to racist threats from the Ku Klux Klan.
When Malcolm X was serving a 10-year sentence for burglary, he was introduced to the teachings of the NOI and was inspired to become Muslim. The NOI is a religious and political organization that combines elements of traditional Islam with Black nationalist ideas.
Once Malcolm X was released from prison, he was a devout follower of the NOI. He changed his surname to “X” because he beloved Little was a slave name, and the “X” was used to symbolize his unknown African ancestral surname, according to an article on Wesleyan University’s website that can be found at www.wesleyan.edu/mlk/posters/malcolmx.html.
Malcolm X was a fiery and witty speaker who gained popularity for his debates and speeches on race, religion and equality. He was one of the NOI’s most influential leaders and is credited with being the reason behind the group’s increase in membership between the 1950s and 1960s.
After a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia in 1964, Malcolm X returned to the U.S. with a new perspective on integration. Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam the same year. He was assassinated in 1965 while giving a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City at the age of 39.
Sculpting to perfection
Murray views the bust as an extension of the work he’s been doing as a ceramic artist. He focuses on Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) stories, experiences and issues. As an artist who creates lifelike clay sculptures, Murray said he had a few goals in mind while creating the bust of Malcolm X. He wanted the bust to look inviting and make those looking at the piece more interested in Malcolm X’s life and work.
In order to accomplish the goals, he had for the project, Murray worked with people who’ve studied Malcolm X’s life, someone related to Malcolm X and those responsible for selecting artists for Hall of Fame busts.
While working with Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz, Malcolm X’s daughter, Murray said one of the criticisms she had of some other portrayals of her father is that he looks angry. Murray said she felt as though some portrayals didn’t capture his true spirit of being a man who was passionate about his family and worked for equality and justice.
“Everybody had different ideas in terms of what they wanted the piece to be,” he said. “Everybody involved wanted the piece to be kind of open which is how I came up with the idea of bringing that arm out in a way that was like he was engaging with whoever’s looking at the piece.”
Murray’s bust features Malcolm X in a suit and his iconic browline glasses. The bust is slightly above life size and will be one of the larger busts in the State Capitol. Murray created the original bust in clay. After that, a cast is made from a rubber mold of the clay. Bronze will eventually be poured into the cast to create a bronze replica of the original clay bust.
Finding the right artist
“The commission is excited about this,” said Sara Crook, chair of the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission. “Obviously, this will be the first Black person in the Nebraska Hall of Fame. And we really appreciate the Nebraska Arts Council helping us with the selection of the artist.”
The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to recognize prominent Nebraskans. The Hall of Fame honors people who were born in Nebraska, gained prominence while living in Nebraska or whose residence in Nebraska influenced their lives and contributed to their success. The Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission names people to the Nebraska Hall of Fame.
In 1998, legislation was passed stating that no more than one person can be added to the Hall of Fame every five years.
Crook said busts are located in designated areas in the Capitol. Malcolm X’s bust will be located in the southwest chamber of the building.
Once Malcolm X was selected to be the next inductee for the Nebraska Hall of Fame, the commission made a subcommittee and partnered with the Nebraska Arts Council to find a sculptor.
Last year, a national call for art was put out for the project. Meagan Dion, public art and artist programs specialist for the Nebraska Arts Council, said there were around 19 submissions for the project.
“I can’t imagine being more proud of our whole process, and the artist’s work is just turning out to be so impactful,” Dion said. “It’s been such a delight to work on with everybody, and I know it’s going to be something that I’ll be proud to say that I had some small part in.”
Dion was impressed with Murray’s unique style and how personal it was to him. Murray’s proposal stuck out because as an artist, he is very connected to the project based on the work he’s creating in his studio practice. Dion said when an artist’s previous work aligns with the project, there’s a deeper level of authenticity that comes through once the project is complete.
Creating learning opportunities for all
JoAnna LeFlore-Ejike, executive director of the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation, said Malcolm X had an introspective nature. LeFlore-Ejike was on the selection committee that was responsible for choosing an artist for the bust project. She wanted people to feel as though they could approach Malcolm X and have a conversation while looking at the bust.
“It’s really a gateway opportunity for people who may know of Malcolm X but didn’t know how to advocate for what he represented,” LeFlore-Ejike said. “This is an opportunity for them to share his story in a different sort of setting.”
The foundation plans on implementing programming around visitation to the bust.
Continuing to turn true stories into lifelike creations
One of Murray’s biggest hopes for the bust is that it keeps viewers engaged and sparks a sense of curiosity.
He’s currently working on a new project that represents a wide variety of perspectives from those belonging to BIPOC communities in Nebraska. For the project, Murray has plans to create seven to nine busts.
When Murray isn’t in his studio, he can be found teaching at the LUX Center for the Arts in Lincoln.
For more information on Murray’s work, visit www.nathanmurraystudios.com, and more information on the Nebraska Hall of Fame can be found at history.nebraska.gov/nebraska-hall-of-fame/.
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