Malcolm X Post Mecca Analysis

He then got caught as a burglar and was put in prison. As in many aspects of his life, the book gave more details of Malcolm’s life inside the steel bars. Since no one was in jail with him that was interviewed in the film, we could not get a good presentation of others’ views of his experiences in jail. While in prison, Malcolm hears about the Nation of Islam through his family. The leader of the group, Elijah Mohammed had a central idea that all white men were devils. In learning this, Malcolm thought back to all of the white people he had previously encountered. It is easier for us to understand Malcolm’s thought process after reading the book, since the film did not tell us of all of his relationships with white people. Malcolm then converted to Islam.

Muhammad spread his teachings. Accordingly, as stated in chapter 13 paragraph 3, “Mr. Muhammad invited me to visit his home in Chicago… while he trained me for months. "Elijah had Malcolm brainwashed, yet Mr. Muhammad wanted to teach him everything he knew. Above all, as stated in chapter 10 page (216), “It means that my worship of him was so awesome that he was the first man whom I had ever feared- not fear as such as one had of the power of the sun.” Malcolm was beginning to see Mr. Muhammad as more like a God not as high as Allah but he knew everything he needed to know to be as high as him. However, as stated chapter 13 page (222), “I began firing Mr. Muhammad’s teaching at the New York members and the few friends they managed to bring in.” Malcolm and Mr. Muhammad felt that Malcolm knew enough to start traveling and reciting Elijah Muhammad’s teachings for him. In fact, as stated in chapter 14 page (241), “Christian love is the white man’s love for himself and for his race.” Once again Malcolm saw the world as Black America and White America each with mostly different religions. Furthermore, as stated in chapter 14 page (241), “Every Muslim happily anticipated that now, through the white man’s powerful communication media, our brainwashed black brother and sisters across the United States… were going to see, hear, and read Mr. Muhammad's teachings…” Malcolm seemed to be excited that everyone would be able to hear about Mr. Muhammad and his teachings of Allah. Also as stated in chapter 14 page (245), “All Mr. Muhammad is doing is trying to uplift the black man’s mentality…” Malcolm thought that Mr. Muhammad only wanted to help people by teaching the muslin lessons. However, as stated in chapter 14 page (246), “Whoever tells you how many Muslims there are doesn’t know, and whoever does know will never tell.” Malcolm and Mr. Muhammad knew how many Muslims there actually

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.

While advocating for racial justice as a minister of the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X claims that blacks must separate from their corrupt society and squarely blames the white man for the plight of blacks. The

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.

Historians have often divided the life of Malcolm X, also referred to as El-Hajj Malik Shabazz, into 3 periods. First, from 1948 to 1964, he was established in the Nation of Islam. Then, in 1964, he went through the Black Nationalist Period of his life. Lastly, prior to his assassination, from 1964 to 1965, Malcolm X evolved through the Universalist Islamic Period. I, however, have chosen to divide his life into two major periods from which his most poignant ideologies were formed. He demonstrated that reading, learning and reason were indispensable qualities for the economic and social development of the masses. Within these two distinctly opposing periods of Malcolm X’s life, his ideologies, prior to and following his holy pilgrimage to

"We didn't land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on us."(Malcolm X).Even though Elijah Muhammad was bad to all these women and had gotten them pregnant. Malcolm X still believed in the thought of Muslims ways and Elijah’s teachings , especially when everything was segregated between whites and blacks adding on, Malcolm X had a bad past with white people. Malcolm X’s trip to Mecca had made him perceive something new. There in Mecca everyone was equal, the white man there were standing side by side and called him brother. As soon as he came back to America he realized instead of the fact of Muslims making things better for blacks and only blacks and Muslims can make it better, he realized things should be better for all people. You can say in a way, his mind started to open up to all viewpoints even with his bad past. Malcolm X had been separated from his brothers and sisters, ridiculed because of what color skin he was, being charged with burglary and sentenced him to 10 in jail. Malcolm X came out a changed man who became successful becoming an inspirational beacon for blacks. He fought for what he believed in being as militant as he was. Devoting his life to achieve something many people were against. He even gave himself a new last name “X”, he believed the last name “little” was a slave name a white man had given, so he chose “X” to represent his unknown tribal name making him what he is known by today as “Malcolm X”.

Malcolm X on the other hand wanted blacks to have more power than they did, he did not care about equal rights as much as he wanted the black community to rise up into the powerful positions that whites currently had at the time. Malcolm’s approach to achieving his goals were not quite as peaceful as MLK Jr. Malcolm X thought, along with others, that were members of the NOI that the white man were keeping the African Americans, down by not letting them enjoy the same rights as the whites.

Malcolm X was a curious man and a spokesman for the Nation Of Islam, the book “Malcolm X : Rights Activist and Nation of Islam Leader” explains what he went through as a spokesman for the Nation of Islam,“ Malcolm X helped increase the membership of the

Malcolm had joined the Nation of Islam and became their spokesman and went to the streets for black converts. His only concern was to change the condition of his people who were victimized by social injustice and

(Malcolm X imprisoned massmoments.org) While in prison his brother Reginald introduced Malcolm to the muslim religion and the Nation of Islam. Malcolm was very intrigued by the religion and began studying the teachings of Elijah Muhammad. Elijah Muhammad believed that white people actively worked to keep African-Americans from empowering themselves and opted to prevent African-Americans from reaching economical, political, and social success as well as the white man is the devil and blacks cannot live among them. (biography malcolmx.com) Malcolm agreed with Muhammad’s viewpoints and admired him as a leader. Malcolm was captivated to Elijah’s theory that the history of the world was a long story of white men “pillaging and raping and bleeding and draining the whole world's non white people.” (Malcolm X imprisoned massmoments.org) When Malcolm left prison he changed his name to Malcolm X. The X represented his tribal name that was lost from him in slavery, along with his new surname his religion became profound and he was passionate. Malcolm X became a member of the Nation of Islam and promoted the religion. He told speeches about who he thought was the common enemy and how the African-American community needed to work together to overcome their oppressor. “We have a common oppressor, a common exploiter, and a common discriminator...the

Malcolm X grew an intense hatred towards the white people and referred to them as “devils”. He rejected integration in favor of segregation. His actions towards White America became more and more vehemently bitter.

Mr.Muhammad’s teaching clearly stated that the act of adultery was heavily punishable within the Nation of Islam. We see the harshness of their punishment through the banishment of Malcolm’s brother, whom Malcolm did not even attempt to engage with despite his brother being the one who introduced him to the Nation of Islam in the first place. This abundance of faith Malcolm had put in Mr.Muhammad and his teachings proves misplaced when Malcolm discovers that Elijah Muhammad has been having relations with as many as six women, some of whom have produced children. Malcolm had believed that Mr.Muhammad physically could not do any wrongdoing, this act thus proved him wrong. Following his ordered silence, resulting from his “chicken coming home to roost” comment referring to the assassination of Kennedy, he decided to leave the Nation of Islam because he could not condone Elijah Muhammad’s