Malcolm X: Charismatic Leader of Black Nationalism and Resistance - Essay Sample

Introduction

Malcolm X adopted his last name, X, as a symbol for resistance to slavery by the whites. He joined the Black Muslim Faith, which was led by Elijah Muhamad. Malcolm was appointed as the spokesperson to The Black Islam group due to his charismatic character. Malcolm reinforced the concepts of race, pride, and Black nationalism during his whole time as a leader. However, Malcolm X was assassinated, and as a result of his assassination, his story was widely distributed, attracting many people to the black youth group (Malcolm 2015). In this paper, I will give a brief about Malcolm X's religion and ideologies in the faith and his connection to civil rights, then reflect my religious identity.

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Malcolm X's Religious Identity

He was born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska. Malcolm x's parent was a homemaker, and his dad was a Baptist preacher and a great follower of Marcus Garvey, who was a black nationalist leader. He questioned the mainstream public virtues drive, and non-violent race of alliance supported by Martin Luther King, Jr. Malcolm X asked members to shield themselves from the white invasion in any way they could. Malcolm had altered his last name to X as a symbol of opposition to bondage. Malcolm was famous, and that trait led him to mature into a leader of the Nation of Islam, which served to mix Islam with Black Nationalism and supported the impoverished blacks searching for faith in separated America. Malcolm x's death in 1965 led to a popularization of his views, particularly among the black youth, and set the basis for the Black Power movement in the 1960s and 1970s.

Malcolm X's Connection to the Civil Rights Movement

Malcolm X was a practitioner of the Black Muslim Faith, which was a black man's religion. Christianity at that time was considered a white man's religion, and the blacks were only forced to it during the slave experience. Islam was nearer to the African foundation and identity. Member if Islam religion in the time read the Koran, worshipped Allah as their God and accepted Mohamed as their core prophet. This religion was symbolized and build upon black pride and black nationalism, and the believers were known as Black Muslims. This religion attracted many black people, especially in prisons, where there were the lost hoping for salvation (Adeleke 2016). The Nation of Islam aimed at setting up their schools and places of worship, and support networks. Malcolm X promoted to a spokesperson for the Black Muslims by Elijah Muhammad after he realized Malcolmn's skills of speech.

How Malcolm X's Ideologies Influenced Others

The Northern black people faced a lot of racism and segregation. Injustices and inequalities prevailed based on race and skin color. Black people were constantly mistreated and abused by the police. The Nation of Islam, on the other hand, combined the ideal rules of Muslim religion with some of its makings. The idea of capitalism was embraced, and the Black Muslims emulated it from the success of white capitalists. Malcolm X, however, became critical of the civil rights movement's leaders as he viewed them as containing the struggle rather than leading the effort towards, he argued for black self-defense. Malcolm turned out to be more political than his first religious role and influenced people to the Black Nationalism movement.

My Religious Identity

I am a Christian believer. My religion has some basic ideas, such as the belief in one universal being called God. As a Christian, I believe that God created the heavens and the earth and placed us His creations here on earth. The divine Godhead consists of three parts, namely; God the Father, God the Spirit, and God the son. The essence of my religion as a Christian goes around life, death, and life after death as symbolized by Jesus Christ, who was God's son in the form of human flesh. We believe that Jesus will come back one day and take the righteous with Him in what we call the second coming. The symbol of Christianity is the cross, a place where Jesus was crucified. Extended holidays for us as Christians include the Christmas when we believe Jesus was born and the Passover, where according to our historical religion, the Angel of death killed firstborns of Egyptians. The Bible is our major book of reference as it contains Jesus's teachings towards the right morals, and God talks to us through the Bible.

This reflection has made me take a more in-depth look into my personal life and meditate on my life as a Christian. I have reminded myself about the divine power of the cross, and some favorite chapters of the Bible, such as God's promise to protect me, have rung in my head stronger. Talking about religious identity is different from talking about other characters, as this is a spiritual matter. Religion is a significant determinant of one's moral values; therefore, reflecting on faith is reflecting on one's moral values and major beliefs towards the kind of person I am.

Commitment to Ethical, Environmental and Social Responsibility

In conclusion, Malcolm X was a young influencer against the dominance and injustices of the whites. Malcolm was born in 1925, and his father is killed while he was at a tender age by the white rulers. His mother, on the other hand, was taken to an institution for mental issues. Malcolm converted to the Nation of Islam while serving his jail term for charges as a burglar. Malcolm got involved with the civil movements by pressing for the Nation of Islam to be more into the right of civilians. He was however assassinated an act which lured more blacks into the Nation of Islam. I have given a reflection on my religion as a Christian and some of our fundamental beliefs, such as in the return of Jesus and the use of the cross as the symbol of our faith.

References

Malcolm, X. (2015). The autobiography of Malcolm X. Ballantine Books.

Adeleke, T. (2016). Africa in Black Liberation Activism: Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael, and Walter Rodney. Routledge.