The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley
Malcolm X or El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. He was born to Louise and Earl Little. His father Earl was a Baptist minister and “a dedicated organizer for Marcus Aurelius Garvey 's U.N.I.A. (Universal Negro Improvement Association).” His mother was a domestic worker. In 1929, Malcolm’s family moved to Lansing, Michigan. There, his house was burned down by a white supremacist group. It was then he realized the role of a black man in America and saw the difference between being white and being black. He said, “ Back when I was growing up, the "successful" Lansing Negroes were such as waiters and bootblacks. To be a janitor at some downtown store was to be highly respected. The real "elite," the "big shots," the "voices of the race," were the waiters at the Lansing Country Club and the shoeshine boys at the state capitol. The only Negroes who really had any money were the ones in the numbers racket, or who ran the gambling houses, or who in some other way lived parasitically off the poorest ones, who were the masses. No Negroes were hired then by Lansing 's big Oldsmobile plant, or the Reo plant. (Do you remember the Reo? It was manufactured in Lansing, and R. E. Olds, the man after whom it was named, also lived in Lansing. When the war came along, they hired some Negro janitors.) The bulk of the Negroes were either on Welfare, or W.P.A., or they starved.” When Malcolm was six
Born in Nebraska in 1925, Malcolm’s early childhood consisted of inequality and confusion, both of which had manifested from a racist system.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X, told by Alex Haley, details the incredible journey of one of the most inspiration and life altering leaders the world has ever encountered. The book begins with the illustration of Malcolm’s early life experiences and ends with X predicting that he will die a violent death prior to seeing the publication of his autobiography.
Malcolm X, also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz’s legacy is about one’s personal transformation of a self-made man. A man who once associated himself with hustling and crime as a ghetto pup; then to a staunch radical activist, to a political figure, and to becoming one of the most influential African Americans in history. To some he was admired as a courageous human rights activist for blacks, and in some others eyes, he was a man who preached racism and violence towards the whites. Before his last two years of adapting to a peaceful outlook as an activist; before, on one hand, he was undeniably repulsed by the racial discrimination and violence against black Americans, and on the other he originally believed that America offered
Who is Malcolm X? Answers tend to vary by person but in the “Autobiography of Malcolm X”, it really delved into the pivotal details of his life and readers like myself, went on an enthralling metaphorical journey to see the intriguing development of him as a child, a young adult, a convict, a follower, and ultimately a leader. For starters, Malcolm X was not born with the infamous and famous X. His birth name was Malcolm Little and the innocent Malcolm Little was very belittled (pun intended) in majority of his social environments. At a young age, he experiences the pain of losing his father. In retrospect, his father was just a dust in the wind. Malcolm’s dad was like many other socially active black males, who became inevitable victims that usually were murdered, lynched, burned, etc by the white men in their area. Now, to lose one parent is already tough for many individuals but Malcolm was only to be hammered with more bad news. His mother was sent away by government workers to a mental institution because his house was deemed “unstable” (this kind of stuff happened daily to many black families in similar housing situations like Malcolm was in). But Malcolm directed his energy elsewhere. He ends up taking initiative in school and whilst excelling, he ended up loving many aspects of education in America (or so he thought). He climbed his way to become first in rank in his class and even became class president but his dreams was simply crushed by many individuals. One of
Malcolm X was one of the primary religious leaders and reformers of the 1960, where he fought for and ultimately gave his life for racial equality in the United States. His father was a reverend who believed in self-determination and worked for the unity of black people. Throughout Malcolm’s life he was treated horribly by white people, hence shaping his misconceptions of all white people and developing his strong belief in black separatism. It wasn’t until years later where he embraced his black identity and discovered all races could live and work together for a common goal, brotherhood.
Malcolm X, Malcolm Little or El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, are all different names to one heroic figure. No two people can differ on the impact that Malcolm X has left, not only on the African-American society, but also on the world as a whole. Born in Omaha, Nebraska USA in May 19, 1925 Malcolm X ideologies in life and philosophy were really a result of several life events that he struggled with and experienced while growing up. Between loosing his parents, being bullied in school and finally having Prison sentence, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz decided that some changes should be arranged in the society’s function. Starting from there, he became a man with a message and a mission. Malcolm X was seeking a change, a step forward and a ray of light. After going through a lot in his life, Malcolm X was detriment to be the burning candle that illuminates the roads for others. Almost 50 years later since his death, a lot of people still look up to him as a spiritual leader and still consider him an icon when it comes to civil and human rights movements. Today, in a world that is moving in the path of equality and unity, we can only think of those who built the early stages of this ground we all stand equally tall above. Thanks to influential people like Malcolm X, we can today see the impotency and the growth of the seeds he grew back in his days. In spite of the fact that he is a well-respected and loved man, there is still a group of people (23%) who thinks Malcolm X should not be
Throughout his life Malcolm X faced oppression from white people. From having his family’s house burned by the KKK, to having his father killed by a white supremacy group and leaving his mother destroyed, Malcolm had a deep sense of hatred towards white people in America. This resulted in Malcolm developing this philosophy that black people should in no way accept the help of white people. While he was in prison learning about the nation of Islam, his views on “white” America grew strong. Leading to his advocacy to Pan-Africanism. Malcolm shares in the book, “that freedom, independence and self-respect could never be achieved by the Negro in America, and that therefore the Negro should leave America to the white man and return to his African land of origin.” He simply believed that unless black people create a black nation, blacks in America could never be economically stable due to the discrimination they will continuously face. Later on in the book, he contradicts himself after his trip to Mecca and changes his views. Neglecting his past belief of Pan-Africanism, Malcolm came to the realization that blacks in America could be successful with the participation of whites fighting alongside them for equal rights. This came to be as a result of Malcolm witnessing race problems from different perspective around the
MALCOLM X Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925, Malcolm X was the son of a Baptist minister, who was an avid supporter of Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association. While living in Omaha, the family was often harassed - at one point the family's house was set afire. In 1929 the
Maxlcom X was born on May 19, in Omaham Nebraska, also knows as Hajj Malik Elshbazz, His family lived in in Omahan his father was a preacher of a Baptist church he was an active man where he dedicated himself to preaching to the community of blacks his father Belonged to a movement called Marcus Garvey. Maxlcom X and his family received many threats from the Ku-klux klan group where many times they had to move through the established threats. However one of those groups of racists set fire to their house. After that, Malcolm Little named so grew up with much hatred towards the white race. His mother Louise was a housewife with eight children. After the death of her father, the mother lost custody of her children where she underwent break-out and was submitted to a psychiatric hospital when she saw the separation of her children where they were scattered in orphanages. - After living in orphanages. At an early age Malcolm X showed his vocation for advocacy he was one of the best students in his class when one of his teachers gave him a justification that he managed to quit school. “Malcolm was a bright student and, in fact, was at the top of his class in junior high school. In the eighth grade, however, one of his favorite teachers told him that his dream of becoming a lawyer was “no realistic goal for a nigger” At that point he lost interest in formal education and
Do something about it. Everyone has problems from struggles in life. Malcolm X told his life story of how he overcame in his autobiography simply called The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley. His life changed the world historically, socially, and especially politically by taking a stand against racism of all kinds which still exists in today’s “modern” standards. Using his personal life experience with racism towards African-Americans, Malcolm spreads the word on equality for all with a realistic tone that inspires trust in him. Malcolm X reaches all kinds of people in an effort to voice his thoughts on equality for all using rhetorical and persuasive techniques for a more effective message.
Malcolm Little commonly known as Malcolm X was born in Omaha Nebraska. Malcolm’s trouble has started before then even while he was in the womb of his mother. Clansman would often circle his house in search of his father who was a preacher who talked about the evils of the clansmen and wished for a day when African Americans will return to the ancestral homelands in Africa. In chapter 1 of the Malcolm X book I will describe his childhood has rough he seen his father killed been relocated to 4 or 5 different houses and at the end of it all his mother was killed. Malcolm little commonly known as Malcolm X have been through a lot in his upbringing. He was separated from his seven siblings and put into foster care Change would be one word to describe his childhood as he was in and out of schools and by the age of 13 he was in a reform school. The book takes a major shift when he heads out to Boston with his sister Ella. From here he tours the town and find other African Americans who are just like him. One in particular by the name of shorty becomes one of his closest friends. He introduces them to the locals and takes Malcolm under his wing. One thing in particular that Malcolm falls in love with is the Roseland Ballroom. With the help of shorty he gets a job as a shoe polisher. While doing this he falls in love with a new dance called the Lindy Hop. This ultimately leads to him quitting from shoe polishing in a short time because he cannot do both. However he only works there
My curiosity has propelled me to read the autobiography of Malcolm X. Malcolm X was one of the most controversial Men in American history. I’m familar with the name Malcolm X however, I’m not familliar with the works and background of Malcolm X. This is why I choose to read the autobiography of Malcolm X written by himself and Alex Haley. Which gives the read an insight on his background, beliefs, and the American society then. I believe that many people including myself have misunderstood Malcolm X. I believe that Malcolm X is misunderstood due to his close affiliations with the Nation of Islam,violence and racism. I have begun to read the autobiography and have found that racism began way before Malcolm X was born and so far is one of
Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska to Earl and Louise Little. His father, a minister and devout Christian, was known for being an outspoken follower of the black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Garvey’s message promoted the “back-to-Africa” movement that encouraged African Americans of the time to sever ties with
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
The Autobiography of Malcolm X is the story of Malcolm X, an African American male growing up in the United States in the mid-1900's. At this time in America prejudice and segregation were widespread and much a part of everyday life. Malcolm takes the reader through his experiences with American society, which rejects him. This rejection, along with the inferiority cast upon all Black Americans, forces these males to search for acceptance. They are forced to search for purpose in causes greater than single individuals. As the book shows, this is evident in Malcolm throughout his life and in the life of other African American males. The Autobiography shows how during this time in American history