The dramatic life of Malcolm X: From street hustler to civil rights icon

Photo of Malcolm X smiling
Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/man-african-american-black-67472/

Malcolm X was one of the most influential and controversial figures of the civil rights movement.

 

He was a passionate advocate for the rights of African Americans, and his speeches and writings had a profound impact on race relations in the United States.

Early life

Malcolm X was born with the name Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 19, 1925.

 

His father, Earl Little, was a Baptist preacher and an active member of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA).

 

His mother, Louise Norton Little, was a homemaker. While he was still a baby, the family moved to Lansing, Michigan.

 

Unfortunately, Earl Little was killed by white supremacists when Malcolm was only six years old.

 

Not long after her husband's murder, Louise Little suffered a nervous breakdown and Malcolm, with his siblings, were placed in foster care.

 

In 1942, at the age of seventeen, Malcolm moved to Boston to live with his half-sister, Ella Collins.

 

He enrolled in junior college but dropped out after only one semester. He then moved to New York City, where he became involved in criminal activity, including hustling, drug dealing, and theft.


Time in the Nation of Islam

In 1946, while in prison for burglary, Malcolm began to study the teachings of the Nation of Islam (NOI).

 

The NOI was founded by Wallace Fard Muhammad in Detroit in 1930. It was a black nationalist organisation that preached separation from white society and self-reliance for African Americans.

 

Malcolm was released from prison in 1952 and joined the Nation of Islam under the influential leader of the group called Elijah Muhammad.

 

Elijah Muhammad was a significant figure in Malcolm's life, and he had a profound impact on his political and religious views.

 

It was around this time that Malcolm changed his surname from Little to 'X', because he believed that his real surname was a 'slave name' and he wanted to symbolically reject it.

The Nation of Islam was a controversial organisation, and its beliefs were not always popular with the mainstream civil rights movement.

 

However, Malcolm X was an outspoken critic of the nonviolent approach advocated by Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders.

 

He believed that African Americans could not achieve equality through peaceful means and that self-defense was necessary to protect their rights.

 

He quickly rose to become one of the most prominent leaders in the Nation of Islam.

 

In his role as a minister and spokesperson for the organisation, he gained a following among African Americans across the country.


Disagreement with Martin Luther King

Malcolm X publicly disagreed with Martin Luther King, Jr.'s philosophy of nonviolent resistance, and the two men had a famous, but brief, meeting in 1964.

 

Malcolm X argued that violence was justified in the fight for civil rights, while King argued that peaceful protests were more effective.

 

The two men represented different approaches to the civil rights movement, and they had different visions for the future of race relations in America.

 

Ultimately, Malcolm X's views were seen as too radical by many people at the time, but his ideas would later be adopted by black nationalists and other groups.

Reasons for leaving the Nation of Islam

Malcolm X became one of the most visible and articulate leaders of the Nation of Islam during the 1950s.

 

However, he increasingly came into conflict with NOI leader Elijah Muhammad over his call for black separatism and his criticism of white society. 

 

One of the main reasons for this was Malcolm's belief that African Americans should take a more active role in fighting for their own rights, instead of waiting for white society to make changes.

 

In 1963, Malcolm X publicly accused Elijah Muhammad of adultery and sexual misconduct. 

 

Those loyal to Elijah Muhammad attacked Malcolm and, as a result, Malcolm X was suspended from the organisation.

 

In March 1964, Malcolm X formally announced his break from the Nation of Islam. Then, he founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU), a secular group that promoted Pan-Africanism and black pride.


Journey to Mecca

In April 1964, Malcolm X embarked on a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The journey was a life-changing experience for him, and he later wrote about it in his autobiography.

 

He observed people of all races and nationalities worshiping together in harmony, which challenged his previous beliefs about race relations.

 

Upon his return to the United States, Malcolm X changed the core messages of his speeches and became less radical than he had been before.

 

While he did become more inclusive in his views, he did not abandon his criticisms of white racism or his belief in black self-determination.

 

His shift was more about recognizing the potential for solidarity across racial lines, rather than a wholesale rejection of his earlier beliefs.

 

Rather than focusing so much on separation of races and violent divisions, he started to speak out more about the need for racial unity and understanding.

Assassination

However, loyal followers of Elijah Muhammad continued to grow angry at Malcolm's public criticisms of the Nation of Islam and sough to silence him for good.

 

On February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated by three members of the Nation of Islam while giving a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City.

 

He was shot multiple times and died at the scene. At the time of his death, Malcolm X was 39 years old. 

Legacy

Malcolm X was a controversial and influential figure during his lifetime, and his legacy continues to this day. His ideas about self-defense, black nationalism, and racial separation have inspired numerous black nationalist and separatist movements.

 

His life story has been the subject of several books and films, including the 1992 biopic Malcolm X

 

He also inspired the formation of the Black Panther Party, which was a movement that advocated for the self-defense of African Americans and other oppressed people.

 

His commitment to social justice and equality for all people has made him an enduring icon for many Americans.

 

Malcolm X is remembered as a powerful voice for African American rights and equality.

 

He remains an inspiration for people around the world who are fighting for social justice.