May 19, 1925 - February 21, 1965

“A race of people is like an individual man; until it uses its own talent, takes pride in its own history, expresses its own culture, affirms its own selfhood, it can never fulfill itself.”

Early Life

Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska. He was the fourth child out of seven to Earl Little and Louise Helen Little. His father Earl was a Baptist preacher and local leader of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). His mother, Louise, worked as a secretary for UNIA. Shortly after Malcolm was born, his family relocated to Lansing in 1926, Michigan after facing threats from the Klu Klax Klan. When Malcolm turned six, his father died in what some believed was murder by the Black Legion but it was ruled as a car accident.

Malcolm excelled academically but dropped out of high school in 1941 after a white teacher told him he could never be a lawyer. He initially resided in Boston with his half-sister, Ella Little Collins, before relocating to Harlem. Following this, he began a career in crime, which included drug dealing, robbery, and racketeering. He was not drafted into World War II because he was declared mentally unfit for military service. Malcolm was arrested in 1946 and faced a ten-year prison sentence for burglary.

Prison

While incarcerated, Malcolm was introduced to the Nation of Islam (NOI), an emerging religious movement that fused elements of Islam and black nationalism. Through discussion and letters with his brother, Reginald, he eventually joined the NOI and changed his surname from “Little” to “X” (signifying his lost tribal name) which was common in the NOI as they believed their original surnames stemmed from white slave owners. He studied the teachings of the NOI leader Elijah Muhammad, who taught that black people need to create their state, separate from white people.

Apart from turning to the NOI, he spent his time reading numerous books, advancing his education, and, impressively, memorizing a dictionary.

Nation of Islam

Malcolm was released from prison on parole in 1952 and met Muhammad shortly afterward. In June 1953, he was appointed assistant minister of the NOI's Temple Number One. Later that year, he established Temple Number 11 in Boston, and in March 1954, he assumed leadership of Temple Number 7 in Harlem. Malcolm possessed exceptional oratory abilities and effectively communicated the NOI's racial beliefs that white people are intrinsically evil and black people are superior. He quickly rose to prominence as a public figure and drew the FBI's attention in 1953, which kept a close eye on him as a communist. He continued to recruit new members to the NOI and establish new temples across the country throughout 1955. Malcolm then changed his surname once more.

By 1959, Malcolm had established himself as a national figure, attracting the attention of the media and appearing on a television special titled "The Hate That Hate Produced," which delves into the fundamentals of the NOI. Malcolm grew increasingly enraged with the NOI over time for their passivity and lack of involvement in the Civil Rights Movement.

In 1963 Malcolm discovered troubling information. Muhammed violated his own teachings about celibacy until marriage by having up to six affairs with women, some of which resulted in the birth of children. He felt profoundly betrayed and guilty for recruiting so many people to the NOI, which he perceived to be a fraudulent organization.

After the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Malcolm spoke on it and said, “chickens coming home to roost”. He was suspended for violating Muhammed's orders, but he believed the suspension was for other reasons. Malcolm resigned from the NOI permanently in 1964.

OAAU and Travel

Following his departure, tensions between Malcolm and Muhammed, as well as the NOI, became so high that Malcolm became a target of assassination. Malcolm founded his own religious organization, the Muslim Mosque, Inc., after leaving the NOI. Later that year, he embarked on a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which would transform his life. He was able to communicate his beliefs to diverse cultures, which reacted positively. He renamed himself el-Haji Malik el-Shabazz. Malcolm returned to Africa in 1964 and addressed the Organization of African Unity, OAU (now known as the African Union). Following this, he founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU), which promoted Pan-Africanism and emphasized that racism, not necessarily white people, was the true enemy.

Assassination

Due to his radical views on the black population and their need for self-reliance and self-empowerment, his tense relations with Muhammed and the NOI, Malcolm was a target. He required bodyguards around him wherever he traveled. On February 14, 1965, his home was firebombed but luckily his family managed to escape unharmed. However, his enemies would strike again the following week at a speaking engagement in the Audubon Ballroom, Manhattan. Three men (Talmadge Hayer, Norman 3X Butler, and Thomas 15X Johnson) rushed him whilst he was speaking on stage and shot him fifteen times, he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

Malcolm X's legacy is critical to not only black history, but to all of history. His beliefs and ideas significantly influenced the shift in black people's mindsets, resulting in the development of black nationalism and the Black Power Movement. His efforts emphasized self-reliance and the importance of black people looking within to find solutions to their problems.

References

Biography – Malcolm X (2021). Available at: https://www.malcolmx.com/biography/ (Accessed: 9 July 2021).

Malcolm X (2021). Available at: https://www.history.com/topics/black- history/malcolm-x (Accessed: 9 July 2021).

Malcolm X | Biography, Nation of Islam, Assassination, & Facts (2021). Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Malcolm-X (Accessed: 9 July 2021).

Malcolm X (May 19, 1925 - February 21, 1965) (2016). Available at: https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/individuals/malcolm-x (Accessed: 9 July 2021).

Quotes – Malcolm X (2021). Available at: https://www.malcolmx.com/quotes/ (Accessed: 9 July 2021).

Simba, M. (2007) Malcolm X (1925-1965) •, Blackpast.org. Available at: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/x-malcolm-1925-1965/ (Accessed: 9 July 2021).