Malcolm X By George Breitman

Malcolm X, B.T. Washington and Social Movements

Introduction

Malcolm X was perhaps the most important figure in the black liberation movement from the mid-1950s until his premature death in 1965. He was fearless and unapologetic in articulating the pain of oppressed people and in demanding justice for them. Taking full advantage of the budding visual media of television and working tirelessly among the people, Malcolm was known to households across the nation and around the world. In a great sense, he was a spokesperson for those far beyond the confines of the various organizations with which he was affiliated and was a major inspiration for other social movements in the United States, such the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Black Panther Party, as well as those in other countries. In addition, he commanded the respect of leaders of the more moderate civil rights movement, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., and enjoyed the company of writers such as James Baldwin, scholars such as Kenneth B. Clark, and artists such as Ossie Davis, who would later eulogize the slain giant as a “prince.”

The Conversion

Malcolm eventually moved back to Boston, where he was soon arrested and convicted on burglary charges in 1946. Still a student at heart, Malcolm meliorated his 7-year prison sentence by devoting himself to study. A major turning point during his incarceration came in 1948 when, introduced by his brothers Philbert and Reginald to the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm became intrigued about black history and culture and eventually converted to the Nation of Islam (NOI). Upon his release from prison in the spring of 1952, Malcolm, earning his “X,” was appointed minister of Temple No. 1 in Detroit before assuming duties as a minister of Temple No. 7 in New York, where he also became the first national minister for Elijah Muhammad.

The teachings of Elijah Muhammad resonated with Malcolm, who had firsthand knowledge of the ways in which white society actively worked to keep black people from the means of empowerment to achieve political, economic, and social success in America. Malcolm was in perfect agreement with the goals of the group to establish a separate black state, one that was not under the authority of white people, within the borders of the United States,. And, as an eloquent and charismatic national minister for Muhammad, Malcolm became the main exponent of the NOI's teachings for more than a decade.

Nation of Islam

Charged by Elijah Muhammad with establishing new mosques in black communities across the United States, the politically astute and polished Malcolm used newspaper columns, radio, and television to communicate the NOI's message throughout America. He was very successful in attracting new members and is largely credited with increasing the size of the NOI from a membership of around 500 in 1952 to more than 30,000 by 1963 and with raising the funds that allowed the group to construct the facilities of Temple No. 2, its elaborate national headquarters in Chicago, Illinois.

Malcolm's fiery delivery, quick wit, and formidable ...