Malcolm X And Black Power

The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told by Alex Haley is the story about a man who greatly impacted American history. Malcolm Little, or Malcolm X as he is more widely known, taught what he believed in regards to segregation, racism, and discrimination. Growing up in a large family with a father Earl Little, a Baptist minister, and his mother Louis Little who was a homemaker, Malcolm’s life at the time seemed very promising. His father’s involvement in support of the Black National gained him many death threats at the hands of white supremacists. In 1929, they lost their house to a fire, and two years later the body of Malcolm’s father was found mutilated. This lead to the emotional breakdown of Malcolm’s mother and in turn she was institutionalized. Malcolm and his siblings were separated and placed in foster homes, and from then, his life began a path of drugs, sex, and crime. It was not until he was imprisoned in 1946, that he decided to make some changes for the better. This essay will assess and discuss those changes whether negative or positive, on a micro, mezzo, and macro level. It will also cover some of the effects of racial prejudice on human behavior, and how society today keeps the ideology of Malcolm X alive.

Originating in the North, this movement took on a more radical stance: one that maintained racial separation and aimed to form a separate Black identity and encourage self-reliance and independence from whites (Source I). The Black Power Movement aimed to end institutionalised racism in the Northern states and call for social justice while improving the living conditions of Black people in urban areas who were living in poverty and often subjected to police brutality, although it can be noted that segregation laws were not in place in the North. (Source L). A prominent leader of the Black Power Movement was Malcolm X, who considered the Black Power Movement to be supportive of a nationalist ‘Black’ revolution which mainly focused on the accumulation of land and, as a result, independence as opposed to the ‘Negro’ revolution based on the Civil Rights Movement which focused on integration between races (Source

During the Civil Rights Movement, there was a famous leader whose protests were peaceful and non-violent. That man was Martian Luther King Jr., but many people have never heard of another Civil Rights leader. Even though his protests were different than King’s protests, he did his part and help with equality. This man was Malcolm Little, more famously known as Malcolm X. After a rough upbringing, Malcolm X led protests that differed which ended with his assassination.

Malcolm X, an African American leader and prominent figure in the Nation of Islam, was a significant individual in the African American fight for justice and equality. In contrast to the mainstream Civil Rights Movement with its nonviolent pursuit of integration, Malcolm X voiced concepts of race pride and Black Nationalism during the 1950s and '60s. Although many argue that Malcolm X did not actually “do” anything for the black community, his nontraditional programs brought a new perspective to the Civil Rights Movement, and this perspective is of relevance today in the black community.

When Malcolm X refers to freedom in the final sentence, he is referring to being at liberty. He is saying that he is no longer constrained by his lack of education and his inability to read. Malcolm X carefully studied the dictionary to solve the problem of his own illiteracy. Having risen from a world of thieving, pimping, and drug pushing to become one of the most articulate African Americans. What an enormous frustration he must have felt writing numerous letters that fell on deaf ears. Knowing that he had something to say but not being able to convey it in letters. According to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy, thirty-two million adults in the U.S. cannot read. That is fourteen percent of the Population. These numbers are astonishing! Furthermore, nineteen percent of high school graduates cannot read. There are many benefits that come with being able to read and write. Some of these include economic security, access to health care, and the ability to actively participate in public life. Malcolm X went behind bars partially because of negative educational opportunities. He ends up finding freedom when he learns of the connections between culture and education that society has denied him. He did this by copying and studying the pages of the dictionary, page by page. He would also stay up at night reading, and was careful to make sure that the guards at the prison did

I do not agree with all of Malcom X’s extreme views, however I could not read his work without being moved in some way. It is extremely powerful and thought provoking. He seemed to have had possessed an unwavering set of morals. It was not until I dove deeper into his background, and learned of his upbringing, did I reach better understanding of Malcom X. He endured racism his whole life. Never being able to get away. He was drowning in it, when he found Islam, it was like coming up for air. This courageous journey helped mold him into one of the most influential Black leaders of his time.

Malcolm X made more of an impact on the Civil Rights Movement than Martin Luther King JR. Malcolm X lived through extreme hardship and poverty leading to a life of crime; prison eventually altered his whole perspective about his role in society. Unlike MLK JR, whose purpose was predetermined in a household with strict boundaries and Christian love. Most notably, it was his excellency as a scholar that gave MLK JR his signature; being that at only 15 years of age he enrolled into Morehouse College. However, it was Malcolm X with the intelligence of peace through the Nation of Islam and spirituality of Black Nationalism, these components made him the one who is best to philosophize accurately about removing blacks from oppression in the USA.

MALCOLM X INFLUENCED MANY of the leaders; who sought to give guidance to the grassroots militancy of the black power era. However, his intellectual legacy did not bridge the divide between black leaders and mobilized black masses. Despite his rhetorical support for black militancy, Malcolm himself did not lead a protest or insurgent movement. Indeed, Malcolm's principal contribution to the black nationalist tradition was to link that tradition with the mass movements of his time. As Malcolm observed the intensifying civil rights demonstrations of 1963 and 1964, he moved from harsh criticisms of nonviolence and integrationism to a more subtle critique that distinguished between national and grassroots civil rights leaders. Although Malcolm continued

On February 21 1965, Malcolm was in the midst of administering a speech for his recently founded group the Organization for the African American unity (OAAU) in the Audobon Ballroom (New York City), when Malcolm X was shot 15 times while delivering his speech. At just the age of 39, the death sparked a controversy not only within the Nation of Islam but all over America. Malcolm X was still in his height of his influential power when he was killed, by three people who were later confirmed to be three members of the Nation of Islam; Norman Butler, Thomas Johnson. Even in death nothing could stop the impact and the legacy that immortalize Malcolm X and kept the Civil Right movement going, and brought an increase in African American activist that

The history of the world has had its encounters with separation and segregation when it comes to race. For a long time the world has seen racism as a large problem and this has caused ethnic groups to be looked down upon or forced into a lifestyle of difficulties and suppression. Due to this situation, races, in particularly African Americans, have been forced to deal with unequal opportunity and poverty, leading to less honorable ways of getting by and also organizations and support change. Malcolm X is an example of an African American man who fell into this type of hate and acted against it. Malcolm X united people to promote the advancement of African Americans and change when it comes to his own race.

In the pursuit of social justice and civil rights, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Stokely Carmichael, sought to amend a flawed system. To accomplish this task, these men entered the armory and chose to wield nonviolence as their weapon. Their goal: to combat violence with nonviolence, to fight hate with love, and to spread equality through peace. In the end they succeeded. Violence breeds violence, hate breeds hate, it is an ineffective approach and an archaic mean to resolving societies issues. Malcolm X and Carmichael were both extreme individuals but that does not make them violent. They attacked social justice and civil rights passionately and assertively, not violently. The methods used

The movement, using the slogan “Black Power,” followed the teachings of Malcolm X, an African American leader who died the same year and who promoted that African Americans separate from white society in favor of forming their own community. The Black Panther Party, a militant organization that viewed themselves as soldiers warring against the white hierarchy, arose from such ideals. Despite the challenge that “Black Power” proposed to the nonviolent movement, civil rights activists continued persevered in finding the end of black discrimination legally. They found success in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which both contributed to legally naming minorities as equal citizens, as well as protecting the same from discrimination. Although the strength of the civil rights movement dissipated after the 1960s, activists continue to make efforts to end entirely the racial discrimination within America’s economic and social policies.

More than just a battle over land, Carmichael suggested that the undoing of the influences of Western civilization, especially among African Americans would be the major obstacle they had to overcome on the road to unity. However, without this process, there would not be much of a revolution at all. Rather, it would be only a replacement without substantial reconfiguration. For him, the unlearning of an imposed culture was essential to bring neo-colonialism to an end and he considered African communal traditions crucial in this transformation toward a post-colonial and post-capitalistic future of a united African continent. For Stokely culture was deeply political. In the past, he suggested, people only fought for a change in power, however,

The Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power movement were two monumental movements advocating for the rights, liberties, and equalities of African Americans in the 1960’s. While both had similar interests and long term goals for African Americans, these movements, their leaders, actions and influences were vastly different than one another. The Civil Rights Movement which largely credits their accomplishments to the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr based and grounded itself on moral principles that were distinguished by the importance of non-violence (HistoryNet). The Black Power Movement aligned itself and defined its actions by leader, Malcom X. Malcom X, like Dr. King, pushed for the rights of African Americans and drew a wide following. However, he differed from Dr. King, in that he did not condemn violence, especially when he believed it was in self-defense, for him this was a justified action to fight against the oppression the African American faced by white supremacy (History.com). The stance on violence is the essential and most critical division of these two movements in their principles and actions. In addition, this dividing stance would result in differences in the way they were perceived by established society. Although, they would have differences with each other, in the end, this would not be enough to stop either from focusing on their long term goal of improving the rights, liberties, freedoms and equality of African Americans.

Even though these types of movies gave great opportunities to black actors and actresses, I believe that these films do more harm than good. Young audiences, no matter the race, are very impressionable. The black children who grew up watching Blaxploitation movies were being exposed to very explicit, stereotypical content that is to influence how they feel about