Red, And El-Shabazz's The Autobiography Of Malcolm X

Malcolm X was one of the most prominent civi right activists at the time. He preached Black Nationalism, where blacks separates themselves from the whites completely. He is often known as the intellectual, charismatic hero. Although, he was not always that faithful. He was a thug. A hustler. He committed crimes. How did a hoodlum, became a historical figure of Malcolm X? There was many events in his life that changed him, and shaped him to be that somebody. If we trace back his footsteps, his life as Malcolm Little, his life as a thug, his life as a inmate, and his life as a national minister of Nation of Islam, all contributed in creating him and his name of Malcolm X.

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.

I would pace for hours like a caged leopard, viciously cursing aloud to myself. And my favorite targets were the Bible and God. But there was a legal limit to how much time one could be kept in solitary. Eventually, the men in the cellblock had a name for me: “Satan.” Not only does Malcolm's attitude show his stubbornness but also the name defines how unwilling Malcolm was to give up all he had done outside of prison but also being in prison helped Malcolm recover. As Malcolm X, Malcolm continues to never waver on his attitude but by assuming the name Malcolm X he is letting go of his old life of Malcolm little and becoming a new person. As he changed “This was my attitude. These were my uncompromising words, uttered anywhere, without hesitation or fear. I was his most faithful servant, and I know today that I did believe in him more firmly than he believed in himself" His views became the same as the cause of the Nation of Islam and Elijah Muhammad. This movement and this person became all he want to learn and become. Then later after getting into a huge disagreement with this movement Malcolm decides to change his name one last time to El Hajj Malik

With Malcolm's imprisonment ended the acceptance of the ghetto hustler and gangster life. In prison Malcolm had to find a new place to turn for acceptance. As his father did, Malcolm turned to religion. The religion he turned to, The Nation of Islam or more commonly known as the Black Muslims, were a group of African Americans who believed, among other things, that whites were the roots of evil. Malcolm became immersed in his religion. It seeped into every part of his life. "For the next years I was the nearest thing to a hermit in the Norfolk Prison Colony. I have never been more busy in my life" (173). Malcolm wrote many letters to family and friends about his new found faith and , most importantly, he found the acceptance he longed for with the teachings of Mr. Muhammad. This acceptance gave him purpose and after his release Malcolm became one of the foremost representatives of the Nation of Islam.

Being that the school system I encountered prior to college barely educates you on black history, I can only imagine how the education system was in Malcolm’s time. At this time in his life when he was Malcolm Little, he had little to no education about his history which is most likely the reason he carried himself the way that he did in the very beginning of his life. One who does not know where they come from nor value their history typically tends to fall into a stereotypical existence; the only way to break this cycle is the awakening of the mind. Something has to occur to drastically changes a man or woman’s life, whether it's in a positive or negative form.

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 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.

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

Through his readings and new found religion, the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X finds self-pride. He starts to become proud of who he is and where he came from. He realizes that before, all he was trying to do was act like someone he wasn’t and all it had gotten him was seven years in prison. The letters he got from Elijah Muhammad and his family encouraged all of this. He strives to admit his guilt, and “implore the forgiveness of God” (170). He would often “be startled to catch [himself] thinking in a remote way of [his] earlier self as another person” and marvel at how much he had changed (170). All the reading he did “awoke … some long dormant craving to be mentally alive” (179). His trip to prison opened up new doors for him because he gained knowledge that made him rethink his niche in life.

The theme of religion is introduced in the autobiography during Malcolm’s time in the state prison of Massachusetts. While in prison, he started to study books in a small library. Later in 1948, Malcolm was moved to Norfolk Prison. There was little violence in this prison and inmates could debate and study freely. While in prison, Malcolm studied many books such as religion, history, literature, linguistics, and biology. Malcolm first heard about the Nation of Islam from his home when Reginald, his brother requested him to do so, and this became his first step into full conversion to Islam. Reginald told him about a spiritual leader called Elijah Muhammad who preached against the evils of white people and compared them as the devils.

Malcolm X is an extremely critical figure that contributed in shaping American social life. He was a famous man who articulated the struggle, anger, and beliefs of African Americans. He was a radical man who fought for change despite the situation. His struggle for equality for the black nation landed him in prison. While in prison, Malcolm was able to study, and earned a college degree. However, most importantly while in prison, Malcolm X was introduced to the Islam faith by one of the prisoners. He received teachings from the Muslim faith, which made him realize that, his people were being oppressed and abused by the whites. While out of prison, he went to visit honorable Elijah Muhammad and later on went around preaching Elijah

Later Malcolm's father had been murdered by the same Clan furthering his distrust for the white American race. After Malcolm had moved to Harlem, a small neighborhood of New York, he had turned to a violent and crime-filled lifestyle. Malcolm had soon been arrested and sentenced to jail, imprisoned Malcolm opened eyes so to speak, making him realize that there was much more to live for than what he had chosen, so Malcolm had used his jail time effectively reflecting on his harsh decisions to turn his life around for the better, also reading and educating himself by books. Malcolm had become heavily influenced by his inmates, converting to the Nation of Islam. Upon Malcolm's release, he was a better, smarter, changed man with much to bring to the Black community he loved dearly. He started off his new life journey under the wing of a man named Elijah Muhammad, his Islamic minister. Malcolm and Elijah had started off on the wrong foot so to speak and soon found himself in big trouble with the cult. Malcolm had issues following the strict guidelines of the cult so much so that Elijah ordered one of Malcolm’s friends to hotwire his car into explosion upon

The Autobiography of Malcolm X follows the honorable Malcolm X through life from his birth to his death. Through the years Malcolm changes his name multiple times. Each time he changes his name, it shows a new side or personality of Malcolm. He is most know for the names Malcolm Little, Detroit Red, Satan, Malcolm X, and El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. Each name plays an important role in Malcolm's life.

Despite his extreme radical views, Malcolm X remains a somewhat relatable character throughout the autobiography. Malcolm reminds us that he is human by reflecting on his mistakes and showing his transition to the Muslim faith. Beginning with the story of the death of his father and his abuse he received from his mother, he sets a sympathetic scene, to which we can comprehend. The abuse he endured as a child for being “whiter” than the other children foreshadows his future beliefs against the white population. As he goes through his life story, he describes finding Islam as somewhat of a saving grace. We see that this is true based on his previous crime and drug history before finding Islam. Later in the novel, Malcolm begins to go through a transition of sorts, to which his radical beliefs towards all whites lessens and he begins to believe that the white population is not all made up of devils as he had previously thought. All of these variables and more help

Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska as Malcolm Little to parents Earl and Louise Little. The Littles moved to Lansing, Michigan when Malcolm was an infant due to threats the family received from the Klu Klux Klan. This was because Reverend Earl Little was an early follower of Marcus Garvey, who preached black independance and self-respect (Altman, 197). Reverend Little died when Malcolm was only six years old after being hit by a streetcar. Malcolm always believed that this was a hate crime committed by whites. Many speculate that this is what originally caused Malcolm to distrust whites. Malcolm’s mother, Louise Little, was committed to the State Mental Hospital in Kalamazoo in 1939. Her exact illness is unknown (Mamiya).