Malcolm X AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Malcolm X ranks among the most important figures in American history because of his unwavering political activism and his staunch dedication to countering racial bigotry in the United States. His autobiography, which was assisted by Alex Haley, was published in 1964 and was been made into a big-screen movie directed by Spike Lee in 1992. The Autobiography of Malcolm X details the life of Malcolm X, from his childhood in Nebraska and Michigan through his assassination in 1965. Having experienced the horrific manifestations of racism via KKK attacks and the murder of his father and mental anguish of his mother, Malcolm X realized first-hand the deeply-rooted extent of racist norms in American culture. Partly inspired by his father's faith and his ascription to the teachings of Marcus Garvey, Malcolm would eventually become the figurehead of black separatism and black power movements throughout the United States. His influence parallels that of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; although the two men differed greatly in their politics and techniques, both worked diligently to squelch racism and both men were also eventually assassinated.

Orphaned and living in a group home in Michigan, Malcolm X dropped out of school after 8th grade and fled to Boston to live with an older sister. There, Malcolm received his first taste of social power as he rose through the ranks of urban street culture. He soon moved to New York City, where he continued spending his adolescence and early adulthood as a hustler, drug dealer, and petty criminal on the streets of Harlem. Busted for armed robbery back in Boston, Malcolm X ended up in prison. It was during his years in prison that Malcolm X encountered the spiritual and political philosophies of the Nation of Islam and subsequently converted to the religion that was sweeping black America by storm. Behind bars, Malcolm X also taught himself how to read and write by memorizing page by page of the dictionary and reading voraciously. He was eventually able to communicate directly with the leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm X's oratory skills also developed through his participation in a prison debate team.

Spiritually and personally transformed, Malcolm X was released on parole, and moved to Detroit to live with his brother who, like many of their other siblings, had converted to Islam. Malcolm X soon rose through the ranks of the Nation of Islam, became its first national minister, and grew in political clout. As his social and political notoriety grew, rivals within the Nation of Islam plotted against him, sent death threats, and eventually exiled Malcolm X from the Nation. Undeterred, Malcolm X went on to found his own spiritual-political society and traveled abroad on spiritual and political pilgrimages. His encounters with Middle Eastern and African manifestations of the Muslim faith had a powerful impact on Malcolm X, who refined his personal and political philosophies into a more temperate vision.