Malcolm X

Synopsis

More than a generation after his death, Malcolm X remains one of the most controversial black figures of the twentieth century. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on 19 May 1925, the seventh of eleven children. His father, Earl little, was reportedly an enthusiastic supporter of Marcus Garvey's United Negro Improvement Association (Natambu p. 74). Malcolm little attended school in East Lansing, Michigan, but dropped out in the eighth grade when his family moved to Boston (Cone p. 32). Involvement in criminal activities in Roxbury and Harlem resulted in 1946 in a ten-year prison sentence for burglary and larceny. Prison was a transforming experience for Malcolm.

While serving his sentence he was introduced by his younger brother Reginald to the Lost-Found Nation of Islam (known popularly as the Black Muslims) led by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm became a devout supporter of the Nation and changed his surname to X to symbolize his transformation into an ex-smoker, ex-drinker, ex-Christian, ex-slave. In prison, he also embarked upon a process of self-education (Natambu p. 74). Beginning by copying words out of a dictionary, he progressed to reading works on history, philosophy, and anthropology.

After being paroled in 1952, Malcolm became an eloquent member of the Nation of Islam, whose doctrines suggested that the white race was on the verge of being destroyed by God and that Elijah Muhammad would lead the black race to safety in a separate state (Gallen p. 12).

Malcolm founded mosques in Boston, Philadelphia, and Harlem and started the newspaper Muhammad Speaks. He was soon elevated to the position of national spokesman and awarded Mosque Number 7 in Harlem, the second most important mosque of the Nation of Islam. Courteous and soft-spoken in private, Malcolm proved to be a fiery and provocative public speaker (DeCaro p. 47). In spite (or perhaps because) of his message that all white people were devils and the satisfaction he took in stories of white suffering, many young whites as well as blacks responded sympathetically to his apocalyptic language, and he was frequently invited to speak before predominantly white audiences (Collins p. 12). Malcolm was extremely critical of black leaders. Instead, Malcolm defended the legitimacy of violent reaction by blacks against their common white oppressor and against racial injustice (DeCaro p. 65). Although in the last months of his life he made overtures of friendship to mainstream civil rights leaders, many continued until his death ...