On May 19, 1925 a man was born in Omaha, Nebraska. This man was named Malcolm Little. He was born to Earl Little, a Baptist preacher, and his wife Louis. Earl was major advocate and speaker for Black Rights and had to move around a lot when Malcolm was a child because of death threats. They eventually had to move to Milwaukee and then later to Lansing, Michigan. In 1929 the Little’s house was burnt to the ground, and in 1931 Malcolm’s father Earl was found dead on some trolley tracks. Both were ruled accidents but a white supremacist group named Black Legion was alleged to be behind both attacks. Several years later his mother Louis would suffer a nervous breakdown and was committed to a mental institution. Malcolm would then spend the rest of his childhood in and out of foster homes in Michigan.
Despite a troubled childhood Malcolm would be a very focused and dedicated student and throughout junior high would be at the top of his class. He even had dreams of one day becoming a lawyer. This all changed one day when one of his favorite teachers in junior high would actually tell Malcolm that was”no realistic goal for a nigger.” Malcolm would later drop out of school at the age of fifteen and moved to Boston to live with his half-sister.
While in Boston, Malcolm had many odd jobs and became familiar with the underworld. He later moved to Harlem and made a name for himself as a drug dealer and regular hoodlum performing a myriad of petty and major crimes. His nickname on the streets became Detroit Red. He was in charge of gambling, prostitution, and even narcotic rings while in New York. In 1949 after moving back to Boston Malcolm was arrested and convicted of burglary and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
The Essay on THe Metamorphosis of MAlcolm X
Malcolm X once wrote, ?My life has always been one of changes? (Haley 404). In his autobiography, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, it is very evident that through his life, he went through a series of drastic changes that went from one extreme to another. He went from being at ?the bottom of the American white man?s society,? to become one of the most influential advocates of Black pride (150). ...
While in prison Malcolm used his time to further educate himself. He learned from his brother Reginald of a Muslim organization called the Nation of Islam. Malcolm decided to read and study the Nation of Islam and its leader Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm Little entered the prison in 1946 and in 1952 he left the prison as Malcolm X. He then moved to Detroit to become a new member of the Nation of Islam. The Nation of Islam, lead by Elijah Muhammad, taught that white people worked to keep the black people from gaining power. He taught that they needed their own country free of white people.
In the years to come Malcolm X would become the most widely known and biggest speaker for the Nation of Islam. He was in charge of setting up new mosques in cities all over the United States. He used radio and newspapers to spread the word and recruited thousands of people to the Nation of Islam. In eleven years Malcolm X was credited for increasing the number of people of the Nation of Islam from 500 to 30,000. He even had TV specials circle around him and he became more famous then the leader himself.
Malcolm X, being so widely famous, was critisized highly for his speeches after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Muhammad would then “silence” Malcolm, but some would say it was because Malcolm found out about the many affairs that Elijah had had with many women. Malcolm followed the teachings of Muhammad very seriously and until his marriage Betty X was celibate. He felt betrayed and ashamed by the deception of his former mentor. In the end Malcolm would break ties with the Nation of Islam and form his own organization, the Muslim Mosque, Inc.
Shortly after founding the Muslim Mosque Inc, Malcolm went on a pilgrimage to Mecca to experience Islam first hand. He also visited other Arab and African Nations and while on this trip Malcolm learned what true Islam was all about and even renounced the Black Muslim teachings of whites being evil. He then would change his name to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabbaz and become an orthodox Sunni Muslim. He would return to the United States and form another new group called Organization of Afro-American Unity.
The Essay on Malcolm X Nation Of Islam
... for black people. He wanted a black nation in America and went underground with secret meetings to further these ideas. Sadly, when Malcolm was ... brother, Wilfred in Detroit. Malcolm became Malcolm X symbolizing an unknown tribal name. Malcolm had joined the Nation of Islam and became their ... Some members of the Nation followed him. In l 963, he made his visit according to Muslim teachings to Mecca. ...
Malcolm X, as he was still known, made many new appearances on TV and Radio advocating his new teachings of racial tolerance and racial solidarity against white racism but stating now that races of all colors were children of Allah and not just blacks. He became very popular with Black leaders in the UN and among many top people around the world, not just in the United States. He spoke to a group of African leaders and said the problem of race was “not a Negro problem, nor an American problem. This is a world problem, a problem of humanity.”
Malcolm also began working with Alex Haley, a writer, on the manuscript of his life. During this process Malcolm once told Haley that he thought he might not live to see this book published. On February 21, 1965 three men assassinated Malcolm X. Some believe that the Nation of Islam ordered them. There was no hiding the hostile attitude the Nation held for Malcolm after he left and started a new movement. Elijah considered him to be a threat to his movement. To this day his book still touches and influences blacks and whites alike as it tells of his tale from petty thief to a leader of the Muslim people.
The legacy that would become Malcolm X is not always the one that should be remembered. Most people think of Malcolm X from the Nation of Islam as a white hating violence preacher. Many militant black organizations in the 60’s and 70’s would often use his as their guide. Malcolm X did at one time support such actions and often inspired and spoke of them openly. The Black Panther Party was one of these groups who used the early teachings of Malcolm X as the basis for their organization. In recent days Hollywood has even come to use Malcolm in movies, such as the Spike Lee movie and they even made Malcolm X merchandise.
The legacy we should remember when looking back should be the one of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabbaz. He was the man who spoke of tolerance and of non-violence. He was also the man who spoke of black respect and self-help. Most importantly, he wanted to bring peace between all races throughout all countries. As a Sunni Muslim he embraced all men as brothers and told everyone to do the same. This message is the often lost in the stories of Malcolm X and his life. In a time where violence rocked the United States and the world, he spoke for peace and cooperation.
The Essay on Black Men World Worlds People
Inner and Outer Images in A Gathering of Old Men In the novel A Gathering of Old Men, Ernest J. Gaines, portrays the Novel through the eyes of individual narrators involved on the events of the day. The novel focuses on a group of cowardly black men who finally stop running and stand up for themselves and years of suffering. There is great difference between the narration of the black and white ...
He also was credited for starting the black consciousness movement. He spoke of blacks stepping up and taking control of their own lives. He thought blacks should get out and vote and get involved in society. Something he spoke out against with the Nation of Islam. He also gave birth to a phrase still known today, “black is beautiful.“ Despite this he talked about how whites weren’t all evil, but that racism was, from anyone black or white. He wanted cooperation between races instead of the segregation that people spoke about.
His contribution to the Islam Faith is vastly underrated. So many people today and at his time give Islam a bad name. People think of Islam as violent, racist, and often associate it with terrorism. Malcolm X understood what it really taught and wanted everyone to live in that way. He showed the good side of Islam that is peaceful and tolerant of all humans. He taught this in the later years of his life, and wanted to unite the black race using non-violent ways and end racism around the world. Because of his teachings he was killed, like so many other great men in time. He’s a credit to the Muslim Faith and should be remembered as such.
As a student in the world today I read and learn a lot about men with such sayings. Most of these men are from many years ago, very few are from our time, but some who become famous in our time we know as Gandhi, and Martin Luther King. Malcolm X is a man who was lost in the time and more known for his earlier teachings. You could ask a lot of people today what they know about Malcolm X’S and they would talk about his violence and militant speeches. I think we should focus more on his later years with the OAAU, and teach about non-violence and racial tolerance.
The Essay on Open Your Mind Black People
"Open Your Mind" I am very concerned with the hate and bigotry going on in our world today. Over time, people have become more open-minded and less racist, but there is still much further to go for humanity. I believe that the environments that people have and continue to grow up and live in have much to do with how they behave. It is understandable then, how people can become so closed-minded and ...
Today more then ever with the September 11 tragedy we see violence and people who speak for religions, especially Islam. Through the media we get to know people like Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden as Muslim leaders. It’s now more then ever that we need to teach about Malcolm X. Islam is a peaceful, tolerant religion and Malcolm realized that and spoke that in his later life when he realized the error he had made. We should not focus on the madmen who call themselves Muslims to further their political views, but know nothing of the real ideals that make their religion so great.
Malcolm X’s true legacy should not only be for his great speeches and his leadership and contributions to the world of Islam and the world in general but just as a good Muslim. He wanted the Muslims to act like they were intended to act. He wanted all Muslims to know of peace and tolerance and to show it. He knew what it really meant to be a Muslim; something that has been lost to many of the Islam leaders of today.
Biography
Haberman, Barbara. “Biography of Malcolm X.” Online.
www.cmgww.com/historic/malcolm/index.html. 7 Nov. 2001.
“Malcolm X.” Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2001. encarta.msn.com. 7
Nov. 2001.
Siddiqui, Yusuf. “Malcolm X – An Islamic Perspective.” Online.
www.colostate.edu/Orgs/MSA/find_more/m_x.html. 7 Nov. 2001.
