Malcolm X Was a Black

Malcolm X was a black nationalist and a Muslim leader and his personality and dedication to the causes he protected made him one of the most important African-Americans in the history of the United States. Although he lived a short life, Malcolm X's legacy continues to influence people today, more than 40 years after his death.

Malcolm X's real name was Malcolm Little and he was bon in 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. He grew up in a period when black men were constantly harassed and were often the victims of Ku Klux Klan attacks and the events of his childhood as well as the environment in which he grew up in marked him deeply and influenced his adult life. Because his father was a dedicated activist for the rights of the black community, his family was often threatened and harassed by white supremacists and it is believed that his father was murdered for this reason. Malcolm had a very difficult childhood especially after the death of his father, when his mother could not face the situation and eventually became insane. Malcolm and his brothers were sent to foster homes.

Although he was a dedicated student, Malcolm was discouraged from his plans of becoming a lawyer based on the color of his skin. He was told that his excellent academic results would not count because he was black and so he had no chance of actually going to college or to be more than a worker. Malcolm came to believe that it was impossible for him to pursue an academic career and so he abandoned high school and took his life into his own hands. He later went to live in Boston with one of his sisters and got a job at New Haven Railroad. By 1942, he was already part of the Boston underground movements.

Considering the experiences that Malcolm had to go through as he was growing up, it comes of no surprise that he later became a famous activist for black people's rights and that he showed full commitment to promoting a better life for the black communities living in America. His childhood experiences and his hard time growing up are also the reasons behind his illegal activities as an adult.

In 1943, Malcolm moved to New York where he soon became involved in illegal activities of drug dealing, gambling, racketeering, robbery and prostitution. He was arrested in 1946 in Massachusetts for burglary and he was eventually sentenced to eight to ten years in prison. He began serving his time in Charlestown and he was nicknamed in prison "Satan" because of his hatred speech towards the Bible, God, and religion in general. This position he was defending was justified by the environment he lived in and by the experiences he had. This all changed once he began reading, developing quite an appetite for lecture, and when his brother Reginald began writing to him and describing the incredible experience he was having with the Nation of Islam. Malcolm decided to convert and he became increasingly interested in studying Islam and he soon was known for his devotement towards Islam. Despite his good behavior, he was not granted an early release because the authorities feared that his radical views would have a negative impact on society. He was eventually released in 1952.

During his time in prison, Malcolm has already established contact with the leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad, and so after his release he went to Chicago to meet Muhammad. It was after his release from prison and after he met the leader of Nation of Islam that Malcolm changed his surname to "X." "Malcolm explained the name by saying, "The 'X' is meant to symbolize the rejection of 'slave names' and the absence of an inherited African name to take its place. The 'X' is also the brand that many slaves received on their upper arm." His speeches soon drew the attention of the FBI, especially after he declared to be a communist. There was also intense speculation about the insanity of Malcolm X, as he was described by authorities as being asocial and paranoid.

Malcolm became the minister of the Nation of Islam's Temple Number Eleven in Boston and later he became the leader of the temple in Harlem, New York City. He managed to increase the number of members of the church and he gained notoriety after a series of reports were made about the Nation of Islam. He soon became a leading figure that was constantly asked for opinion stands on various issues. His dedication and fervor of speech promoted his as one of the leading figures of the Nation of Islam, in whose teachings he really believed. He was a strong supporter of the radical views of the organization and he spread his hatred towards white people, speaking of the superiority of the blacks. Malcolm X represented an important asset for the Nation of Islam as he managed through his personality and his speeches to reach out to the black communities in America and to radically increase the number of members. Malcolm X has also inspired the boxer later known as Muhammad Ali to join the Nation of Islam.

Malcolm X was married from 1958 at the time of his death and he had six daughters. His wife and his family were dedicated to the causes of the Nation of Islam and they were fervent followers. Malcolm continued to be a dedicated member of the Nation of Islam until 1964, when he left the group because of the differences that arose between him and Elijah Muhammad. He was disappointed to discover that the leader of Nation of Islam was not as dedicated and committed to the ideology of the group, as he discovered he has been committing adultery, which was clearly against the religious beliefs promoted by the Nation of Islam.

Malcolm X was besides a dedicated member of the Nation of Islam, a fervent and extremist critique of whites and the policies promoted by the government which favored the white population. He declared when asked about the assassination of President Kennedy that he was not sad and his declarations provoked immense revolt all over the country. He was immediately censured by the Nation of Islam, and although he later regained his minister position, he was forbidden to make any public statements. He eventually left the Nation of Islam on March 8, 1964 and founded the Muslim Mosque, Inc. His Muslim Mosque promoted black nationalism and although it was originally based on the teachings of the Nation of Islam, the Muslim Mosque expressed a lot more extremist views regarding the situation of the black population.

Malcolm X converted to orthodox Islam in 1964 and he decided to make his pilgrimage to Mecca, in April 1964. The pilgrimage to Mecca, which is the most important in the life of any real Muslim, changed the life of Malcolm. He realized that Islam can be seen as a religion that promotes racial equality after witnessing the interactions between Muslims of all races during his pilgrimage to Mecca. During this pilgrimage to Mecca and during his visits to other African and European countries Malcolm realized that his preaching up to that moment was not conform to the teachings of Islam and he announced in a very publicized letter that he was renouncing Black Islam and turning to traditional Islam and even changing his name. However, he is still known as Malcolm X

After his return from his journey, Malcolm became more involved in African-American activities that did not focus on religion. He began advocating for racial solidarity and for fighting against white racism, while renouncing the racist views against the white population. He realized that there are a number of changes that must be made for improving the life of African-Americans leaving in America and that these changes can be made without promoting even more hate. His position on the role of black people in the American society changed completely, as he began encouraging black participation in political activities and as he started promoting equality between all races. He even began promoting the idea that whites and blacks should work together in order to eliminate racial discrimination. He considered that racism was a problem for the humanity that must be solved through joined efforts.

The change of position from racist extremism towards whites to a more conciliating view represented a great shift for Malcolm and is the reason for which he is remembered as a representative voice for the civil rights movements in the 60s. The book published by Alex Haley was written after the change that produced in Malcolm X and so it reveals the pacifist views of Malcolm and his ideas that came in the support of making an effort to eliminate racism. This is why Malcolm X only began to be seen as an emblematic figure for the fight for equal rights between races only after the publication of his autobiography.

In the meanwhile, his relationship with the Nation of Islam was becoming more and more tensed as the leader of the Nation was determined to destroy Malcolm. He began receiving death threats and his house was burned down. On February 21, 1965, Malcolm was shot dead while delivering a speech in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom. Malcolm was shot 16 times. Three men were convicted for the shots and they were all members of the Nation of Islam.

The funeral service was attended by a very large number of people and thousands of people came to pay their respects to Malcolm's body. The great number of people that came to pay their respects shows that Malcolm managed to reach during his lifetime many lives and that there were many people that followed the same principles that Malcolm was preaching. He was clearly a representative figure of the black community in America as he was always a supporter of the rights of black people.

The death of Malcolm X left regret in the hearts of the black community, as his passion and commitment to promoting the evolution of the situation of the black people in America. However, he was not always regarded as a symbol of black movements due to his radical position and extremist discourse. He was seen as a violent extremist black activist and his methods of trying to improve the situation of the black population in America were often criticized, both by white press and personalities and by black activists. After his death, the reactions were mixed, as there were voices that claimed that his violent death was nothing more than the result of the violent speeches he delivered during his lifetime.

Malcolm X's efforts to promote civil rights were even more appreciated after his death. In 1964, short after his death, the Autobiography of Malcolm X was published, a book written by Alex Haley as told to by Malcolm himself. In this book, the intentions and desires of Malcolm X and his beliefs of the rights of the black population were presented differently and his readers got to know more about his opinions on Black unity. He began to be viewed as a revolutionary for the cause of the black people and he began to be admired for his affirmation of black pride.

Malcolm's change from promoter of racial hatred to supporter of interracial brotherhood inspired many people, both white and black, and his legacy remains that of promoter of civil rights for black people. His past of a law offender, supporter of a racial hatred religious group and vivid critique of white supremacy and the complete change he made after he left Nation of Islam are the reason for which Malcolm X remains an example of the power of transformation that lies in every individual. Malcolm X had the power to become a spiritual leader from a prisoner and he later had the power to change his destiny and his beliefs and to become one of the most significant figures in the history of the civil rights movement in America.

However, despite the dramatic transformation of his ideas, Malcolm X's name will always be linked to the period when he instigated for racial hatred, claiming that "Every time you see a white man, think about the devil you're seeing!." Such affirmations were also made out of pure conviction at the time he was part of the Nation of Islam and his hatred speech can not be overlooked, despite the efforts he made in the last year of his life to promote racial equality. He fought against segregationists and racists in both periods of his life, before and after his transformation. However, his speech was a racist one during the period he was a leading member of the Nation of Islam and it is impossible to overlook his position at the time. He did urge black people to stand up for themselves and not to accept their fate and leave themselves stepped over by racist whites, but he also urged them to hate the white people and see in all of them their enemy.

Malcolm X lived his life always in a radical manner and even after his break with the Nation of Islam he continued to present vivid supports for his ideals. His last year of life was marked by change and religious re-orientation not in a mainstream manner, but in a manner that turned him into a revolutionary and an internationalist. He addressed questions that are still available today, questions of racism and imperialism. He became a strong supporter of the anti-imperialist movement and he even met with head-of-states from various Non-Aligned Movement nations, such as Egypt, Cuba, and Kenya. The common elements between these leaders, that were vivid opponents of the imperialist policy developed by the U.S., and Malcolm X show that Malcolm supported a rather revolutionary view, opposing the differentiation made at the international level between those that have the power and their slaves. He made a parallel between the situation of black men in America and the situation of the Non-Aligned countries, stating that these cases are comparable because America's foreign policy resemblance greatly it's internal policy.