Serving 8-10 years for grand larceny and breaking and entering (5), Malcolm Little found himself with ample time to consider where his life had been and where it was going. Born in Omaha, Nebraska in May of 1925,(5) Malcolm Little grew up in various parts of Michigan. His Father, Earl Little, was a Baptist Preacher and early participant in the civil rights movement. Earl Little would be accidentally killed in 1928 and Malcolm’s mother, Louise committed to a mental hospital in 1939 for 26 years. For most of Malcolm’s young adult life, he would struggle to find a place to fit in at school and in everyday life. After holding several different jobs after high school he would start to turn to a life of petty crime.
Upon completing 6 years in prison, Malcolm X became eager to find a new direction in his life. Malcolm’s older brother Reginald introduced him to the Nation of Islam. Founded in the 1930’s, The Nation of Islam was a religious organization promoting the separation of white and black people and embracing the Islamic religion. Malcolm was also introduced to The Nation of Islam’s leader Elijah Muhammad while incarcerated and would live with him and various family members while working and attending Nation of Islam meetings, and took the new name of Malcolm X. In a relatively short amount of tome he would rise through the ranks of the NOI organization and eventually find himself a full Minister of the Nation of Islam.
In April of 1957, (1) Malcolm’s new found calling took a major boost. Johnson Hinton, a member of the Nation of Islam, would make local news after being arrested and beaten by local police. Malcolm raced to the jail in defense of Mr. Hinton and demanded he be treated for his injuries and given proper legal counsel and treatment. The demands were granted and news of this victory spread throughout the city, showing the strength of persuasion the Nation of Islam had. By 1959 Malcolm X was the chief spokesperson for the Nation of Islam. (1) Throughout the 1960’s, Malcolm X delivered speeches from in front of bookstores, from college campuses, churches and temples, on news programs and various civil rights rallies. Malcolm contributed articles to several African American newspapers, which led to him starting his own publication called “Muhammad Speaks. As the popularity of Malcolm X grew, so did his power, and the acceptance of the Nation of Islam. Malcolm X gave many speeches and presentations on as a messenger and spokesperson for the Nation of Islam.
With the increase in popularity of Malcolm X and the nation of Islam, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) started to take an interest. Malcolm X in his speeches he started to quote Stalin and Lenin. Malcolm even held a meeting with Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro at the Hotel Theresa in Harlem (5), which was claimed to be coincidental by some and intentional by others. Fidel Castro was sympathetic to the struggle of African Americans in the United States. This alliance between disenfranchised African Americans and a communist country so close to the United States was seen as a potential national security risk to the United States.
Malcolm X was very outspoken and held nothing back when preaching the Word of Islam. The tone that Malcolm X was using was much more radical than Elijah Muhammad preferred, but he believed in the talents and contributions of his protégé. The Nation of Islam along with a few other civil rights groups around the country rejected the idea that African Americans were fitting into white society. Malcolm X believed that black Muslims would do better separated from white Christians. With his help the Nation of Islam began to openly reject organizations such as the NAACP and the Urban League. Malcolm X would be compared to Marin Luther King Jr. in his talents, contributions and their dedication to their faiths, but it would be made very clear that the two men were at opposite ends of the spectrum on their paths to civil rights for their people. His message was made clear in a speech given at the Chicago Rally in February 1963 White people were the enemy of the African American people. “White people were white devils” and “the white man is the greatest teacher of hate that ever walked the earth”. (9) Even with what some thought of as radical and dangerous ideals, Malcolm X was uniting poor, unemployed, and non mainstream, and most importantly faithless African Americans, bringing them into the Nation of Islam and his Preaching. Black anger in 1963 was at an all time high. Malcolm realized this and used this rising anger to further the Cause of the Nation of Islam. Bringing the message of civil inequalities, even with the manner in which he brought his message with, still got the message out for the cause of civil rights. It was said that in 1963 Malcolm X was the 2nd most sought after speaker in the United States. On June 29, 1963, he headed the Unity Rally in Harlem, which would turn out to be one of the largest Civil Rights events. August of 1963 brought the Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C. Other civil rights groups and leaders such as Martin Luther King jr. were calling for peaceful demonstrations and civil disobedience without violence. This kind of message angered Malcolm X. He viewed this as an infiltration by the White population to deter the civil rights movement. Malcolm continued to preach and give speeches of the bigotry and racism of whites. The assassination of Medgar Evers that same year added fuel to his fire. November 22, 1963 brought the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Malcolm X. publicly made comments on the assassination claiming that the President had allowed violence of African Americans to go on too long and brought the assassination on himself. This response shook many of his followers and an already grieving country. Elijah Muhammad ordered a vow of silence for Malcolm X for a period of ninety days in punishment for his ill stated remarks.
The relationship between The Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X was deteriating. On March 8, 1964, Malcolm X announced his resignation from the Nation of Islam. He also announced that he would be starting his own organization called the Muslim Mosque Inc. (1) Malcolm X took his message overseas to leaders and ambassadors of other countries. To his surprise many people in other countries knew of him and his message. They had a genuine interest in the struggle of African Americans in the United States. Malcolm focused much of his energy and time in Africa and Asia, learning from other cultures and sharing his message with anyone who would listen. He attempted to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, but is denied access when his true faith is questioned. Eventually gaining access through contacts from the U.S., Malcolm realizes that he did not understand his adopted faith as well as he thought. As he continues to speak throughout Europe, Africa and Asia Malcolm X began to change his mind about the evils of all white people.
Upon arriving back in the U.S. in November of 1963, (1) Malcolm X took a new name calling himself El Hajj Malik el Shabazz. In following interviews and speeches he made it known that he had altered his views a little and was willing to work with people who were sincere in their efforts to help African American people in their search for civil equality. In June of 1964, Malcolm X announced the formation of the Organization of African American Unity. (1) The Nation of Islam did not work with other civil rights groups. Malcolm X wanted this new organization to include other civil rights groups who shared their same views. The following month Malcolm would travel back to Africa to attend an Organization of Unity meeting in Cairo. (1) He asked the members of this organization to consider the plight of African Americans in the United States. He again spread his message across Africa and Asia hoping to gain support for his new Organization. Some more militant civil rights groups and The Nation of Islam were resentful against Malcolm X for his newfound beliefs and efforts with other people other than black Muslims.
On February 21, 1965 Malcolm X was to give a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem. As he stood to give the opening greeting a commotion erupted in the audience. Shots were fired and amid the ensuing chaos, he lay dead on the stage. Malcolm Little who would take the Name Malcolm X, would die with the name El Hajj Malik el Shabazz. He took something he fully believed in and tested those beliefs through many avenues over his life of less than forty years. His voice, while not always the most accepted or popular for the time was the voice of his race and his people. He lent his voice to those who were faithless and help them to find a faith and a purpose. He gave his full life for a cause he believed in.
His contribution to the Civil Rights movement is well described in his own words in an interview with Journalist Claude Lewis in December 1964 which can be found on page 181 of the book: By Any Means Possible by Walter Dean Myers (5):
” You’ll find very few people who feel like I feel that live long enough to get old. I’ll tell you what I mean and why I say that. When I say by any means necessary, I mean with all my heart and my mind and my soul. But a black man should give his life to be free, but he should also be willing to take the life of those who want to take his. It’s reciprocal. And when you think that way you don’t live long.” –Malcolm X.
www.brothermalcolm.net Authored by Abdul Alkalimet launched May 19, 1999, University of Toledo. A complete website containing but not limited to photos, speeches and historical timeline. Fair reliability, was produced at a university in conjunction with 21st century books. It is very specific to Malcolm X covering his entire life and his accomplishments.
www.cmgww.com This site was designed Nov. 24, 2003 by Rhaya Trinklien. This site is an Intellectual property rights management site with fair reliability; any information recovered from the Internet can potentially be fraudulent. This site has many quick facts covering Malcolm X, including photos and timelines but does not contain much depth.
Feud Within Black Muslims. An article taken from the New York Times by Gertrude Samuels, March 22, 1964, pg. sm17. Very reliable and well documented source, however could contain bias. This article covers mostly the Nation of Islam and their feud with Malcolm X.
Harlem Is Quiet As News Spreads. An article taken from The New York Times by Paul L. Montgomery February 22, 1965 pg. 11. Article covers the mood and actions of the people of Harlem just after the assassination of Malcolm X. Very reliable Source, could contain bias reporting.
Malcolm X; By any Means Necessary. A book by Walter Dean Myers. Published by Scholastic Inc. New York, NY 1993. Very reliable source, well known publisher. This book covers the life of Malcolm X from his birth through his death including specific dates and places.
Malcolm X; The Assassination. A book by Michael Friedly published by Carrol & Graf Publishers Inc. New York, NY 1992. A very reliable source from a well established publisher. This book covers just the assassination and the end of Malcolm X’s life.
Malcolm X; The FBI File. A book by Clayborne Carson. Published Carrol & Graf Publishers Inc. New York, NY 1991. This book contains copies of file after file regarding anything to do with Malcolm X. Very reliable source with factual documents.
Modern American Memoirs. Selected and edited by Annie Dillard and Cort Conley. Published by Harper Collins New York, NY. 1995. Very reliable source published by a well-known publisher. This book contains memoir excerpts from many notable American figures including Malcolm X.
Muslims Press Race Separation. by Donald Janson, an Article for the New York Times, February 28, 1963 pg. 5. This article is a very reliable source from a well-known periodical however could contain bias reporting. This article covers a speech from Malcolm X decrying that the U.S. should grant the “Negro population” their own states and their own independent civilization.
