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In this article, Alexius deep-dives into the life of a notable African American activist who spoke up for equality and was an overall advocate for the Black community during the United States Civil Rights movement.
Malcolm X
Malcolm X
By: Alexius Nyna Burnett
By: Alexius Nyna Burnett
During the heated atmosphere of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, when racial inequality was taking a horrendous toll on lives, Malcolm X was one of the few advocates who left a never-ending impact on the situation. As an activist speaker who held great influence, he brought much recognition to his cause. He challenged racism at every corner and never gave up. He persevered through rough times and helped his people, while they were becoming divided due to segregation. The commitment he persevered through to bring self-love and justice for people of color is astonishing and he deserves the legacy that he left behind. This is Malcolm X.
Malcolm X was born May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska, as the seventh child of his parents-- Louise and Earl Little. Both of Malcolm X's parents were activists under the black nationalist movement led by Marcus Garvey. His mother was the national recording secretary for the movement, and his father was a Baptist minister and Chief Executive Officer of the Universal Negro Improvement Association. Growing up, Malcolm X had to struggle, living amongst the poverty and brutality that surrounded him. Since his parents were activists, the family had gotten more attention laid upon them, including death threats. This caused the Little family to move around frequently.
Unfortunately, when Malcolm was six, his family's house was burnt down to the ground, and his father, Earl Little, was found lying on their town’s trolley tracks, presumed dead. Even though there was no evidence about who committed the first-degree murder and arson, DW, a leading German broadcaster, reports that "according to various accounts, he had been murdered by white supremacists." It was quite obvious that the killers were members of the Black Legions. Shortly after the tragedy, Malcolm X’s mother, Louise Little, began to have several mental breakdowns. This led to her being taken into an institution, causing her children to be split up into different foster homes.
As the years passed, Malcolm needed to support himself more, which led him to commit crimes like burglaries. He went to jail multiple times over this in his early 20s. Once, Malcolm and his friend Shorty were both convicted and sent to jail over a burglary. Then, Malcolm had to spend ten years in prison and seven years on parole. His time in jail became his era of wisdom, where he was able to focus more on his education and let his mind ponder. One of Malcolm’s brothers visited several times at the jail, and encouraged Malcom's conversion to the Muslim religion. As Malcolm heard more and more of this organization, he became so fascinated that, soon afterward, he joined it himself.
Photo of Malcolm X at black Muslim rally bestowling a speech by : Magnum Photos
The Nation of Islam (NOI) was led by Elijah Muhhamad, who spoke on white society and on how they were stopping African Americans from getting authority, equality, their lawful rights, and overall success in life. The members of this organization had changed their names to X. As DW stated, after joining NOI, Malcolm started calling himself Malcolm X because African Americans' surnames had historically been assigned by their slave owners. Therefore, NOI members rejected their slave names and called themselves simply "X". Malcolm was highly appreciated by Muhhamad and other members because of his ability to analyze, judge, and understand, as well as the charisma that naturally came when he would speak on his speeches with such confidence and persuasiveness.
Malcolm X's skills led him to be promoted to spokesperson of the Nation of Islam. He was also in charge of setting up dedicated places for Islamic worship, known as mosques. He also made use of newspaper columns, radios, and live television to spread the word of the NOI's messages to everyone. Malcolm was able to recruit new members throughout this process. However, even though he was able to spread good news, he also became a magnet for the media. Malcolm had been invited on a television special called "The Hate that Hate Produced". The Official Website of Malcolm X stated, "The program explored the fundamentals of the NOI, and tracked Malcolm’s emergence as one of its most important leaders." After this release, he faced some backlash, such as being in an uncomfortable situation with his mentor, Muhammad, as Malcolm X was now overshining him. Racial conflicts stirred up as well. Worst of all, he had now caught the government's attention. This resulted in the FBI placing bugs, cameras, and wires to monitor Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam. They even went as far as disguising one of their men as a bodyguard.
After a while, Malcolm X quickly left the Nation of Islam, as he wanted a more aggressive role in the Civil Rights movement. He was slowly losing hope, so he eventually broke ties with the NOI and made a penance to Mecca, the holy city in Saudi Arabia. This decision changed Malcolm X's mindset about the "white devils", which he had brought up various times in his speeches, referring to white society. When he was a part of the NOI, they made all white people seem evil and against African Americans. However, when he went to Mecca, he experienced racial unity; Muslims in Mecca were of all colors. This made Malcolm able to collaborate with white allies and be more open to white people.
After his NOI departure, Malcolm added to his goals a plan to create alliances with all people of color against the colonial whites. This brought him and Martin Luther King Jr. to see slightly more eye-to-eye with one another. They did not have the best overall relationship due to their differing techniques during the Civil Rights movement. Malcolm had thought of MLK Jr.’s ideas as unrealistic, as he made many criticisms and mockeries out of them. For example, the BW page about United States culture refers to one of MLK's famous speeches about all races being united. They state that Malcolm X replied to this speech: "No, I'm not an American. I'm one of 22 million Black people who are the victims of Americanism. [...] And I see America through the eyes of the victim. I don't see any American dream; I see an American nightmare."
Even though they differed because Malcolm talked about self-defense and was more fierce, whereas MLK's approach was calmer and promoted the key value of non-violent interrogation, both activists still learned to respect one another. In the end, they were both fighting for a similar idea. They had even met once at a press conference where they shook hands and briefly engaged in discussion.
Photo by : NPR
Throughout the course of Malcolm X’s activism, he was able to leave behind many marks. He had talked about the way black people were getting treated, as he himself had received that treatment. Once, Malcolm X took a trip to Africa to internationalize the 11th-hour struggles for the Black American Human Rights. He was able to engage one-on-one with African heads of state; he did not rely on United States government because he was an independent ambassador.
Malcolm became open to collaborating with other activists, like MLK Jr. and even white people. He urged civil rights groups to unite with each other and fight for what is right; he met with so many militant black activists and mentored student members of the nonviolent coordination committee on black history and taught them to empower themselves to reshape society one day at a time. They even made an organization that became a possible source of ideological guidance for veterans of the past Southern Civil Rights movement. The Stanford University Research and Education Institute claims that “Malcolm X’s challenge to the multiracial, nonviolent approach of Martin Luther King, Jr., helped set the tone for the ideological and tactical conflicts that took place within the black freedom struggle of the 1960s. Malcolm X was able to empower his black community. He taught them to show pride in who they are and stand up for themselves.
Regrettably, Malcolm was assassinated on Feb. 21, 1965, dying at the young age of 36. He was brutally shot 15 times by a member of the Nation of Islam, and was killed not only in front of people at the Audubon Ballroom, but also in front of his wife, Betty Shabazz, and their six daughters.
Malcolm X was a hero to countless people. He was known as the nation's public advocate for black nationalism. He was a bewildering young, black male who stood his ground-- not just for himself but for his people. He left a huge impact on the world. Even now. his actions inspire movements that fight against social injustice, racism, and overall inequality. Malcolm X promoted self-respect, fighting for what is right, and speaking openly about sensitive matters. He left a legacy that standing up for oneself can help to create a difference in the world.
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