Malcolm X Biography

Introduction

Malcolm X (May 19, 1925, to February 21, 1965) was a minister, a human rights activist and a prominent Black Nationalist leader who served as a spokesman for the Nation of Islam during the 1950s and 1960s (Walten, 2014). He made tremendous efforts during his tenure he grew the membership of the Nation of Islam from 400 members in 1952 to 40,000 members in 1960. He was a prominent leader, as an African American in the Nation of Islam who brought out the issues concerning race, pride and Black Nationalism that was a major problem in the 1960s (Walten, 2014).

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Family Background

Malcolm X was originally called Malcolm Little. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925. As an infant, he moved with his family to Lansing, Michigan. His father, Rev. Earl Little was a staunch supporter of the early Black Nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. However, their parents faced constant threats from the white supremacists, i.e., just before the birth of Malcolm, armed Ku Klux Klansmen went to their house in Nebraska and shattered all the windows of their house (Walten, 2014). Another home burned down a few years later in the hands of a Black Legion, a Klan splinter group. While Malcolm X was 6 years old, his father was hit by a streetcar and mortally wounded. Although it was framed as an accident, it was quite possible that he was a victim of murder by the whites. The surviving family was so poor that Malcolm's mother (Louise Little) had to resort to cooking dandelion greens from the streets to take care of her children. She was later committed to an asylum in 1939 which left Malcolm and his siblings either at the hands of foster homes or to live with family members (Mamiya, 2019). Malcolm was an excellent student in school until when one of his eighth-grade white teachers told him that he should resort to becoming a carpenter rather than a lawyer. This statement caused him to lose interest in formal education.

Adult Life as a Criminal

He grew to be a rebellious youngster and moved from the Michigan State Detention Home (a juvenile home in Mason, Michigan) to the Roxbury section of Boston to stay with his older half-sister, Ella who was from the father's first marriage. At this point, he became involved in petty crime in his teenage years. He was known as "Detroit Red" due to a reddish shade in his hair (Walten, 2014). He grew into a street hustler, a drug dealer and was the leader of a gang of thieves in Harlem (New York City) and Roxbury. He also engaged in gambling, robbery, racketeering, and pimping. He returned to Boston in 1945 where he together with four other accomplices engaged in a series of burglaries that targeted white families. He was arrested in 1946 while picking up a stolen watch that he had left at a shop for repairs. In February the same year, he began serving an eight-to-ten year sentence at the Charlestown State Prison for larceny, breaking and entering (Mamiya, 2019).

Events That Led to His Turn-Around Into Muslim

While in prison, he met his fellow convict John Bembry, who was a self-educated man. He describes him as the first man he ever met or seen who would command total respect with words. It was under the influence of Bembry that Little developed an insatiable hunger for reading and books (Mamiya, 2019).

At this moment, his siblings used to write to him regarding the Nation of Islam which was relatively a new religious movement that was preaching about black, self-reliance and the ultimate return of the African diaspora to their homeland in Africa where they would be free from oppression and domination by the white Americans and Europeans. He was scantly interested initially but was convinced when his brother Reginald wrote to him in 1948 to stop smoking cigarettes and eating pork and he would show Malcolm how to get out of prison. Malcolm immediately stopped eating pork and quit smoking (Mamiya, 2019). After a visit by Reginald, where he described to Malcolm about the group's teachings including their belief that white people are devils, Malcolm concluded that every relationship he had with the white people was polluted by injustice, dishonesty, hatred, and greed. He began to be receptive to the Nation of Islam and their doctrine, regardless of his initial hatred to religion that had earned him the nickname "Satan" while in prison (Mamiya, 2019).

Little, during late 1948, wrote to Elijah Muhammad, who was then the leader of the Nation of Islam. He was then advised by Muhammad to renounce his past and humbly bow in prayer to God and make a promise never to engage in criminal activities and disruptive behavior again. He recalled the inner struggle he has had all along before bending his knees to pray. Little later became a committed Islamic member and maintained regular correspondence with Muhammad (Walten, 2014). In 1950, Little began signing his name as "Malcolm X" and explained how the Muslim's "X" was a symbol of the true African family name that he would never know. He said that "My 'X' replaced the white slavemaster name of 'Little' that some blue-eyed devil named Little imposed upon my paternal forebears."

Initial and Later Perceptions of the Nation of Islam Towards Malcolm

Malcolm rose quickly through the hierarchy of the Nation of Islam and by 1957 was Muhammad's national representative whose responsibility was to represent the NOI on the media. Malcolm was quick-witted, a gifted speechmaker who was powerful and amusing with his talent getting him admirers from all sides, including those he opposed (Marable, 2005). In June 1953, he was named assistance minister of the Nation's Temple Number One in Detroit and later established the Boston's Temple number 11, Temple Number 12 in Philadelphia and was later selected to lead the Temple Number 7 in Harlem (Talhami, 2008). In 1955, Malcolm X continued with his successful recruitment of members on behalf of the Nation of Islam and established temples in Massachusetts, Springfield, Connecticut, Hartford, Georgia and Atlanta among others. This led to a massive increase in the number of African Americans joining the Nation of Islam every month (Rowlings, 2015).

However, while Martin Luther King preached the gospel of peaceful integration and change during the later 1950s and early 1960s, Malcolm X brought out a contrary message. His view was that the whites were not to be trusted and called upon the African Americans to be proud of their heritage and establish strong communities without the help of the White Americans (Rowlings, 2015). He supported the establishment of a separate state for African Americans where they would rely on themselves and establish solutions to their problems. Although violence was not the only answer, it was justified in self-defense. Blacks should get what was rightfully theirs "by any means necessary." This led to Malcolm X becoming a symbol of angry black militancy as characterized by his detractors and being viewed as a reactionary demagogue (Marable, 2005). The internal tensions in the NOI and its apolitical stance resulted in frustrations and disillusionment for Malcolm. After the death of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963, Malcolm defied a ban by the NOI on making any comment towards the same. He claimed that the chickens had come home to roost. This provocative statement to Muhammad and to mainstream America led to Malcolm being censured by Muhammad and leaving the NOI in February 1964 (Marable, 2005).

Events That Led to Malcolm X Making the Sacred Pilgrimage to Mecca

On February 1964, Malcolm learned that his hero and mentor (Muhammad), had violated many of his own teachings by carrying on with various extramarital affairs. His feelings of betrayal together with Mohammad's anger over his comments regarding the assassination of John F. Kennedy caused him to leave the NOI in February 1964 (Marable, 2005).

These occurrences caused him to embark on an extended journey. He made a trip through North Africa and the Middle East. With the financial help of his half-sister Ella Little-Collins, Malcolm flew to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He went for the start of his Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca that was obligatory for every Muslim who was able to do so (Walden, 2014).

The Happenings to Malcolm When He Arrived in Mecca and How the Experience Changed His Life

Various events took place in Mecca that changed Malcolm's perception about life, racial issues, and the Muslim faith. He was delayed in Jeddah due to his U.S. citizenship and his inability to speak Arabic (Keyes, 2018). These factors resulted in the questioning of his Muslim faith. However, he had received Abdul Rahman Hassan Azzam's book called The Eternal Message of Muhammad that came along with his visa. He contacted the author. Azzam's son organized for his release and loaned him his personal hotel suite. Later in the morning, Malcolm X came to understand that Prince Faisal had designated him as a guest of the state (Mamiya, 2019). He completed his Hajj rituals several days later and had an audience with the prince. He later said that his view of Muslims of "all colors, ranging from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans," interacting like equals changed his perception about Islam. He now viewed it as a means by which racial problems would be overcome. From this pilgrimage, he began to appraise the white man and moved away from the black separatism and outright denunciation of the whites and instead encouraged a more humanistic approach towards fighting oppression (Mamiya, 2019).

The Final Months of Malcolm X Life and How His Death Changed or Impacted the Civil Rights Movement

After his journey to Mecca, Malcolm X visited various African countries during which he met officials, gave interviews and spoke on radio and television. On his return to the U.S., Malcolm X addressed a myriad of audiences. He spoke on a regular basis at meetings and was one of the most sought-after speakers to college students (Marable, 2005). He addressed public meetings of the Socialist Workers Party where he spoke at their Militant Labor Forum.

Malcolm X converted to traditional Islam and took the name El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Walden, 2014). In his speeches, he now criticized Muhammad for his infidelities and "religious fakery" and prompted the Nation of Islam to take drastic measures on him. His conflict with the Nation of Islam intensified throughout 1964 and Malcolm X was continuously threatened. The leader of Temple Number Seven ordered the bombing of his car in February 1965. Muhammad told Louis Farrakhan (then Boston minister) that "hypocrites like Malcolm should have their heads cut off" (Marable, 2005)

On February 14, 1965, someone threw Molotov cocktails at his New York City home that resulted in his pregnant wife and four daughters to take refuge in the backyard. On February 19, 1965, Malcolm X told Gordon Parks (An Interviewer) that the Nation of Islam was actively trying to eliminate him (Rowlings, 2015). On February 21, 1965, while he was preparing to address the OAAU in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom, a man rushed forward and shot him once in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun while two other men charged the stage while firing semi-automatic handguns. Malcolm X was gunned down (Rowlings, 2015).

Malcolm X led to the understanding and emphasis of things that are African, i.e., African origin, African blood, African culture, and African ties among others. He helped to discover that deep within the subconscious of the black man in the U.S., he is still more African that he is American (Marable, 2005). His outspoken and strong leadership, even after his death impacted positively on the civil rights movement as African-Americans began to follow the example that Malcolm X has set out and demonstrated through the testimony of his militant following even at his death (Mamiya, 2019). What made Malcolm X a great man was his ability and g...