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Malcolm X Continuity

Decent Essays

Lee and Haley’s last defect in presenting the autobiography of Malcolm X is their presentation of his views after his trip to Mecca and before his death. In order to understand this misrepresentation the context surrounding Malcolm’s life is important. In April of 1964 Malcolm made a trip to Mecca and then Africa, UK, and France. On this trip, Malcolm’s views towards black rights continue to morph. Upon returning to the United States, Malcolm continues to give speeches presenting his somewhat altered visions. Also upon his return, Malcolm begins to receive death threats from members of the Nation of Islam. Malcolm is then assassinated on February 19, 1965. In the last thirty minutes of the film, Malcolm gives a speech based on a real speech …show more content…

Malcolm’s beliefs appear to make a very small shift from the beginning of his popularity to the end of his life. However, this does not mean that the changes that Malcolm does make do not hold significance, but it is important to emphasize the continuity in Malcolm’s philosophy despite these transformations. Next, interestingly, Manning Marable argues that Malcolm’s philosophies stem from his childhood and remain almost completely consistent through his entire life. “ But what I find in my own research is greater continuity than discontinuity. What I see in Malcolm is that his father Earl Little and Louise Little were committed Garveyites, advocates of black nationalism and Pan-Africanism in Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association, joined in the 19-teens and '20s; that Earl Little was the leader of the UNIA chapter branch in Omaha, Nebraska, then in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in East Chicago, Indiana, and then finally in Lansing — in Detroit, Michigan; that there was a long legacy and a foundation of Malcolm's evolving politics”. It is difficult to confirm the continuity of Malcolm’s beliefs before his speeches, interviews, and conversation were recorded and presented towards the public. However, the autobiography and Malcolm’s family members confirmed the idea that Malcolm was exposed to black nationalist politics early in his life by his mother and father. Despite the unknown about Malcolm’s beliefs during his upbringing and young adulthood, Lee paints a much more straightforward picture than reality. Lee presenting Malcolm in this fashion allows him to shatter the myth about Malcolm typically held outside of black communities. Presenting him as having the potential of becoming an integrationist easily dismantles the idea that Malcolm was anti-white. However, his actual position towards the struggles of African Americans in the

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