Malcolm X Civil Rights

Malcolm X had been a very influential speaker in his day and delivered speeches to numerous crowds. His following overwhelmed the government and Hoover decided that the FBI should be documenting the actions of the Nation of Islam and especially its two leaders. Malcolm’s speeches talking about the “white devil” spurred concern in the Kennedy administration. Malcolm was against the white community but always denied being racist. Hoover couldn’t understand this and after hearing Malcolm say it plenty of times, he called Kennedy’s attention to it once again. From this time on Kennedy had kept tabs on him and felt that Malcolm was now a threat to the

After Malcolm separated from the Nation of Islam, part by choice but part by force, he had to turn elsewhere for the acceptance and purpose, which all African American males needed at this time. With his national prominence he formed a new organization. This organization would be the last place he found acceptance because of his untimely death. His organization, the Muslim Mosque Inc., he

He developed a hate that tore him apart due to the racism and prejudice him and his family suffered at the hands of white Americans. After all the mess he got himself into, he hit a low point and ended up in jail. That is when he discovered the Nation of Islam. This religion made him pick up all the pieces and start a new life. However, over the years, Muslims began to get a bad name. Just as Islam’s image is misconstrued by the media as well as ignorance in the present time, for Malcolm X and the Muslims in his time, it was no different. In today’s media, Islam is always being accused of being a violent religion and for encouraging hate. Anything and everything related to terrorism is automatically linked to Islam. Many Americans, who do not have knowledge about Islam, see Muslims as violent, unpatriotic, and terrorists. Little do people realize that history is repeating itself. The media exploited Muslims intentions back then as well by calling them “hate-messengers” and “violent-seekers” (Malcolm X, 152). They also painted the same picture of Muslims being “fascist” and “anti-Christ” (Malcolm X, 152). They would display “Mr. Muhammad, me, and others speaking . . . strong-looking, set-faced black men, our Fruit of Islam ... white-scarved, white-gowned Muslim sisters of all ages... Muslims in our restaurants, and other businesses... Muslims and other black people entering and leaving our mosques...” in a television show titled

He started thinking about the world and the society he lives in. He began to question the way things were, and he realized that a change in his life, and in the society was both possible and necessary. Prior to his imprisonment, Malcolm had been enclosed in the world of the hustler, the player, the pimp, the gangster, the parasite, and he couldn¹t imagine him outside of that world. “Reading exposed Malcolm to new worlds; it allowed him to see that there were alternatives to the lifestyle and values of the social parasite” (Shanna). While in prison, Malcolm began to think, and to read. but only after he had been encouraged to do so by someone that he respected and who had taken an unselfish interest in him. “Malcolm was later motivated by a new sense of self-worth and identity and purpose, as his family introduced him to the religious and political philosophy of Islam, as taught by Elijah Muhammad, and practiced by the Nation of Islam (NOI)” (Estate of Malcolm X). Malcolm X converted to the Nation of Islam while in prison, and upon his release in 1952 he abandoned his surname "Little," which he considered a relic of slavery, in favor of the surname "X" a tribute to the unknown name of his African ancestors.

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.

Instead of going to school to get a traditional education, he dropped out of school at fifteen and learned the ways of the streets. Malcolm associated himself with thugs, thieves, dope dealers, and pimps. He was convicted of burglary at age twenty and remained in prison until he was twenty-seven. During his prison sentence, he became a changed man. He educated himself and he learned about and joined the Nation of Islam, studying the teachings of Elijah Muhammed. Elijah taught Malcolm how history had been “whitened by the white man” (p.184) and he echoed “the black convict’s lifelong experience” where “the white man is the devil,” (p. 186). This thought process encouraged many black inmates to discover the Nation of Islam.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley is an account of Malcolm X’s evolving perspective on racial justice. Malcolm X was a prominent figure in the Nation of Islam who advocated for black nationalism and separatism. The man who became one of America’s most powerful voices for African Americans was deeply affected by the terrors of racism, which shaped his view of social justice and the condemnation of the white man. The way Malcolm X narrates his experiences changes as his views on race change. At first, he wants readers to feel the destructiveness of racism, so he conveys his experiences through provocative language. When he aims to promote universal peace, he takes on a more optimistic tone. As a

Malcolm felt that the “March” they had at the white house was a joke even though he was there to support them. Malcolm also spoke about the way “Black Leaders” talked down on the Black Muslims, but he still supported them because they were his own kind. Also, Malcolm spoke about “integrating” and how he believed it would never work. Another point Malcolm spoke about was how sick Mr. Muhammad was getting. His condition began to get worst and Malcolm knew that the “Black Muslims” needed him.

Malcolm studied the teachings of the leader of the Black Muslims, Elijah Muhammad, who advocated an independent black state. The Nation of Islam was based on a theology adapted from several models: traditional Islamic teachings principles of Black Nationalism, and economic self-help programs that addressed the needs of African Americans living in urban ghettoes. Unlike traditional Islam, which rejects all forms of racism, the Nation of Islam declared that whites were the "devil by nature," and that God was black. However, the Black Muslims predicted that in the near future a Great War would take place in which whites would be destroyed and black people would rule the world through the benevolence of Allah, their creator. To prepare for this new order, the Nation of Islam stressed personal self-restraint, opposed the use of drugs and alcohol, and organized economic self-help enterprises that eventually included farms, food stores, restaurants, and small businesses.

There is no undermining that his beliefs could be considered radical, but at the same time there was no one who wanted to express what X was claiming. The majority of blacks did not feel the power to believe that they deserved more than what was left for them to survive off. To speak about civil rights, no one was as willing compared to X to talk about how blacks were living only to “survive.” Health and Medical Statistics from the 1940-1960 time frame exactly prove this as life expectancies at birth were at least ten years more on average for whites, when compared to blacks throughout the listed years. Therefore, think again how extreme were Malcolm X’s beliefs when he exclaimed that, “You have been cut off by the devil white man from all true knowledge of your own land” (Autobiography of X, 1965). Not only does it take confidence and pride to denounce the Anglo-Saxon race in a time where blacks are officially second-class people, but it takes a real leader. This is not to say that MLK JR has not once in his lifetime ever let out a negative opinion on white people, but he surely has not done so in such a manner as Malcolm X. It is not that MLK JR philosophy did not have an emphasis of how there is an urgency for change to take place in America, but it was more than anything the lack of a redemption factor. Malcolm X knew all his life what it was like to

Malcolm x was a civil rights activist who fought mostly for the rights of African Americans. Before he went solo he was a member of the Nation of Islam. The leader of the NOI was Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm x was recruited while he was in prison he was learning about it and decided what he wanted to do for his life. Malcolm x was assassinated by black muslim rivals when Malcolm stopped supporting Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm x’s assassination was unjust because he was a civil rights activist and he was a leader of the NOI although others believe he was a criminal.

Born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925, Malcolm X emerged as one of the most prominent black nationalists and a leading voice championing for the rights of African Americans during the classic years of the burgeoning civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s in America. He was a spokesman and minister in the Nation of Islam (NOI), and founder of Mosque, Inc. and the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU), all religious and political organizations that advocated for the social, political, economic and mental freedom of black Americans (Ambar 22). At a time of great social change for African Americans, Malcolm immensely proved to be a significant figure in many respects, not least as an eloquent orator and mobilizer, a social, political and religious reformer, and an inspiration for the oppressed and underserved. More than fifty years after his assassination on February 21, 1965, Malcolm remains a towering historical figure whose passionate writings and activism have enduring resonance (Shabazz 15). This paper provides an in-depth description and analysis of Malcolm's contributions and their impact on the history of the civil and human rights movement during his time and in the present-day times.

Malcolm X is known for being one of the more radical Civil Rights Leaders even though he never called himself one. Instead, he was a minister for the Nation of Islam. Before his trip to Mecca, Malcolm told an identity story at the 5-year-old level, it was an innovative story that taught that the white man was the devil and blacks and whites should be separated. After his trip to Mecca, his story changed drastically to be an identity story at the 10-year-old level, it is an innovative story with visionary elements that said that Islam was the way toward eliminating the race problem in America and that there was indeed a way for blacks and whites to live in harmony. These stories were influenced by his life experiences, education and the

Malcolm X stood for what he believed in: “A man who stands for nothing, will fall for anything. This means if a person doesn’t believe for what people say, People will make a decision that falls in with what the “crowd” believes. Malcolm X wanted equal rights for each person. This took a while, as we still face hardships through equal rights for each person. Malcolm X was often treated differently for his work as fellow people were stereotypical. This quote has been an inspiration for me because many people believe in different “quotes” or writing.

Readers should view his speech as a breakthrough for paving the way to give African Americans the rights that they deserved instead of viewing it as a speech filled with hatred against Whites. Malcolm X even states in his speech “Now in speaking like this, it doesn't mean that we're anti-white, but it does mean we're