Who is Malcolm X ?
Malcolm X :
Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, May 19 of 1925 - February 21 of 1965 ), also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was a speaker , minister and activist U.S. . It was a valiant defender of the rights of African Americans , a man who accused white Americans in the harshest conditions of their crimes against their fellow blacks. However, critics accused him of preaching racism and violence . has been described as one of the largest and most influential African Americans in history.
Malcolm X was born in Omaha (Nebraska) . At age 14, his father died and his mother entered a mental hospital because of the madness that was the fact that he removed the custody of their children. After living in a series of foster homes, Malcolm X became involved in the criminal underworld in Boston and New York , and in 1945 was sentenced to eight to ten years imprisonment.
In prison, Malcolm X became a member of the Nation of Islam , and after his parole in 1952 , became a leader of the Nation and a minister. For nearly a dozen years, was the public face of the Nation of Islam, but tensions between him and Elijah Muhammad , leader of the Nation of Islam, led to his departure from the organization in March of 1964 .
After leaving the Nation of Islam , Malcolm X made the pilgrimage to Mecca and converted to Sunnism . He traveled extensively throughout Africa and the Middle East , and founded the Muslim Mosque, Inc. , a religious organization, and the secular Organization of Afro-American Unity . Less than a year after leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X was assassinated while giving a speech in New York
Biography :
The son of a lawyer and mother of eight children and Earl Little, a lay Baptist follower of Marcus Garvey and local leader of the Universal Development Association Black and African Communities League (UNIA, for its acronym in English). Three of the Earl brothers were killed by white men, including one who was lynched .
Earl Little had three children (Ella, Mary and Earl Jr.) from a previous marriage. From his second marriage fathered seven children, of whom Malcolm was the fourth. The names of the sons of Earl and Louise Little were in order, Wilfred (born in Pennsylvania ), Hilda, Philbert and Malcolm (all born in Nebraska ), Reginald (born in Wisconsin ), and Yvonne and Wesley (born in Michigan ). As a result of his relationship with another man, Louise had a son named Robert Little, several years after the death of her husband.
Because it was originally from Granada , Malcolm said his mother looked white. Louise's father knew little except that he was Scottish and Malcolm described him as the shame of his mother. Malcolm inherited his light complexion from his mother and grandmother, and said to hate every drop of blood from that rapist Scottish in him. As Malcolm was the lightest child skin of his family, he was favored by his father, but yet he thought his mother treated him harshly for the same reason. One of their nicknames, "Red", derived from the hue of your hair. According to one biographer, at the time of his birth his hair "blond ... with hints of cinnamon ", and four years his hair was" reddish-blond ". His hair darkened as he grew older , but like her grandmother, her hair turned red in summer .
In his autobiography , Little said his mother was threatened by the Ku Klux Klan while pregnant with him. Louise recalled that the KKK warned his family to leave Omaha , because Earl Little's activities with UNIA caused problems.
The family moved to Milwaukee (Wisconsin) in 1926 , and later to Lansing (Michigan). In 1931 , Earl Little was hit by a streetcar in Lansing. The authorities ruled his death was an accident and the police reported that Earl was unconscious when they arrived at the scene and apparently told them he had slipped and fallen under the wheels of the tram. In his autobiography, Malcolm said the black community questioned the cause of the death of his father and his family was often harassed by the Black Legion, a group white supremacist who blamed the Earl Little house fire in 1929 . Some blacks believe that the Black Legion killed the father of Malcolm. It was questioned that "hit himself in the head and down the tram across the tracks to be run over".
Although his father had two life insurance policies, his mother received compensation policy only smaller. Malcolm wrote that the insurance company of the larger policy claimed that his father had committed suicide. Louise Little had a nervous breakdown and was declared legally insane in December of 1938 , so that their children were separated and sent to different shelters. Louise was admitted to hospital psychiatric state in Kalamazoo (Michigan) , where he remained until Malcolm and his brothers took 26 years later.
Malcolm was one of the top students in his school, but left after an eighth grade teacher told him that his aspirations of being a lawyer were "no realistic goal for a black". After visiting a number of houses host, Malcolm moved in February of 1941 to Boston (Massachusetts) , to live with his older half-sister Ella Little Collins.
Entry into prison :
In Boston , Malcolm had various jobs and intermittently found employment with the New Haven Railroad. For a time he worked as a shoeshine boy in a club of Lindy Hop . In his autobiography he said that once brightened the shoes of Duke Ellington and other notable African-American musicians. Between 1943 and 1946 , when he was arrested and jailed in Massachusetts , Malcolm drifted from town to town and job to job. He left Boston for temporary living in Flint (Michigan) , and in 1943 moved to New York . After spending time in Harlem became involved in drug trafficking , gambling, organized crime, theft and pimping . By then it was known as "Detroit Red".
When Malcolm was examined in 1943 for military service , military doctors will classified as "mentally unfit for military service". In late 1945 he returned to Boston, and a group of partners, began developing a series of burglaries targeting the residences of wealthy white families. On January 12 of 1946 , Malcolm was arrested for theft when he picked up a stolen watch that stopped at a jewelry repair. The store owner had called the police because he thought the clock was too expensive for a resident of Roxbury. Malcolm told police he had a gun and gave it to be treated more leniently. Two days later he was charged with possession of firearms, and January 16 was charged with larceny and breaking and home . Malcolm was sentenced to eight to ten years in state prison in Massachusetts.
The February 27 began serving his sentence at the Massachusetts State Prison in Charlestown . While in prison he was nicknamed "Satan" for its hostility to religion . In prison, Malcolm met a man raised by his own named John Elton Bembry (referred to as "Bimbi" in The Autobiography of Malcolm X), who convinced him to educate himself. Malcolm developed a voracious appetite for reading, reading most of the time after the prison lights go out.
In 1948 , his younger brother Philbert wrote talking about the Nation of Islam . Malcolm was not interested in joining until his brother Reginald wrote a letter in which he said: "Malcolm, do not eat more pork snuff or smoke more. I'll show you how to get out of jail". During the rest of his sentence, Malcolm maintained regular correspondence with Elijah Muhammad , leader of the Black Muslims.
In February of 1948 , mainly through the efforts of his sister, Malcolm was transferred to an experimental prison Norfolk (Massachusetts) , a complex that had a larger library. Later, he reflected on his time in prison "It was months when I thought he was not imprisoned. In fact, until then, had never been so truly free in my life". On August 7 of 1952 , Malcolm received parole and left the prison.
The Nation of Islam :
In 1952 , after leaving prison, Malcolm visited Elijah Muhammad in Chicago (Illinois) . Then, as many members of the Nation of Islam , changed his surname to "X". He explained his name, saying, "The 'X' symbolized the true Muslim name Africa that he could never know. For me, my 'X' replaced the name of love Little white that some blue-eyed devil named Little imposed upon my paternal ancestors ".
The FBI opened a file on Malcolm X in March of 1953 after having declared himself a communist . Soon the FBI focused its concerns on the possible association of the rapid rise of Malcolm in the Nation of Islam with the Communist Party .
In June of 1953 , Malcolm X was named assistant minister of Temple Number One in the Nation of Islam in Detroit . At year's end, he founded the Temple Number Eleven in Boston and in March of 1964 , expanded Temple Number Twelve in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) . Two months later he was elected to lead the Temple Number Seven in Harlem and rapidly expanded its affiliates. After a television broadcast in the city of New York on the Nation of Islam in 1959 , produces Hate That Hate, Malcolm X became known to a wider audience. The representatives of the print media, radio and television frequently asked his opinion on matters and issues. He was also treated as a spokesman by reporters from other countries.
Malcolm X criticized the march on Washington in 1963 calling it "the farce on Washington". He said he did not know why black people are unmoved by a demonstration "run by whites in front of a statue of a president who has been dead for a hundred years and that he liked us when he was alive ".
Since its adoption of the Nation of Islam in 1952 until he left the organization in 1964 , Malcolm X promoted the teachings of the Nation. He referred to whites as "devils" in a program created by black scientists wrong and predicted the inevitable and imminent return of blacks to their natural place at the top of the social order.
Malcolm X has been widely considered the second most influential leader of the movement after Elijah Muhammad. is largely credited with increasing membership in the Nation of Islam from 500 in 1952 to 25,000 in 1963 , and inspired the boxer Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali ) to join the nation. Later, both Ali and Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam and joined Islam.
Marriage and family :
In 1958 , Malcolm X married Betty Shabazz in Lansing . were friends for a year, but Betty suspected that he was interested in marriage. A day Malcolm called him and asked her to marry him.
The couple had six children. Their names were Attallah, born in 1958 and named after Attila , Quiblah, born in 1960 and named in honor of Kublai Khan , Ilyasah, born in 1962 and named after Elijah Muhammad , Gamilah Lumumba was born in 1964 and named in honor of Patrice Lumumba , and twins Malaak and Malikah, born in 1965 after the assassination of his father and named for him.
Meeting with Castro and other world leaders :
In September of 1960 , Fidel Castro came to New York to attend the meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations . He and his entourage stayed at the Hotel Theresa in Harlem. Malcolm was a prominent member of a committee in charge of Harlem to welcome Castro and other world leaders who were with him. Castro was so impressed by Malcolm X who requested a private meeting with him.
During the session of the General Assembly, Malcolm X was also invited to many official embassy functions sponsored by the African nations, where he met with many heads of state and other leaders, including Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt , Ahmed Sekou Toure of Guinea and Kenneth Kaunda of African National Congress Zambia .
Abandonment of the Nation of Islam :
In early 1963 , Malcolm X began collaborating with Alex Haley on The Autobiography of Malcolm X, although the book was not finished when he was assassinated in 1965 . Haley completed it and was released later that year.
On December 1st of 1963 , when asked about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy , Malcolm said it was a case of "chickens coming home to sleep." He added that "when the chickens come home to sleep I do not feel sad, always glad". described the murder of Patrice Lumumba , the activist of the civil rights Medgar Evers and the bombing of the Baptist Church 16 th Street in Birmingham (Alabama) , as some of the chickens had come home to sleep.
Malcolm X's remarks provoked widespread public outcry. The Nation of Islam, which had delivered a message of condolence to the Kennedy family and ordered his ministers not to comment on the assassination, publicly censured X. Although Malcolm X retained his post and rank of minister, was barred public speaking for 90 days.
On March 8th of 1964 , Malcolm X publicly announced his break with the Nation of Islam. Said it was Muslim , but that the nation had reached "as far as possible" because of its rigid religious teachings. Malcolm X announced that he would organize a black nationalist organization that attempted to "raise political consciousness" of the African Americans. He also expressed his desire to work with other civil rights leaders and said that Elijah Muhammad had prevented him from doing so in the past.
In his autobiography, Malcolm X said that one of the reasons for the break was the growing tension between him and Elijah Muhammad because of his dismay at rumors of extramarital affairs with young secretaries of Muhammad. These actions went against the teachings of the Nation. Although at first if Malcolm did not rumors, spoke with the son of Muhammad and the women who made the allegations. He came to believe it was true and Muhammad himself confirmed the rumors in 1963 . Muhammad attempted to justify their actions by referring to the precedents of the Prophets Bible.
Another reason was envy, and that Malcolm X had become the darling of the media, and many in the Nation's headquarters in Chicago felt overshadowed in excess of Muhammad. Louis Lomax's book on Nation of Islam in 1963 , entitled When given the word, included a photo of Malcolm X on the cover and five of his speeches, but only one of Muhammad, which upset a lot to it. Muhammad also was jealous because the editor was interested in the autobiography of Malcolm X.
After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X founded the Muslim Mosque, Inc. , a religious organization, and the Organization of Afro-American Unity , a secular group that advocates black nationalism . On March 26 of 1964 , is met with Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington DC after a news conference continued with both attending the speech on the Civil Rights Act in the Senate. This was the only time I agreed, and the meeting lasted only a minute, long enough for photographers to capture a snapshot of the moment.
In April, Malcolm X delivered a speech entitled "The ballot or the bullet" which advises African Americans to exercise their right to vote wisely. Several Sunni Muslims encouraged Malcolm X to learn about Islam. He soon became the Sunnism , and decided to make his pilgrimage to Mecca .
Pilgrimage to Mecca :
On April 13th of 1964 , Malcolm X left the International Airport John F. Kennedy in New York heading to Jeddah ( Saudi Arabia ). Its status as an authentic Muslim was questioned by Saudi authorities because of his passport and his ignorance of American Arabic . Since only confessing Muslims are allowed in Mecca , was separated from his group and spent about 20 hours wearing the ihram , traditional garment without sewing two pieces covering the body.
According to the Autobiography, Malcolm X was a phone and remembered the book The Eternal Message of Muhammad Abdul Rahman Hassan Azzam, who had been presented with his visa approval. Malcolm called Azzam's son, who handled his release. In the younger Azzam's home, met Azzam Pasha, who gave Malcolm his suite at the Jeddah Palace Hotel. The next morning, Muhammad Faisal, son of Prince Faisal, visited and informed Malcolm X that would be a state guest. The deputy of protocol accompanied Malcolm to the Hajj Court, which allowed him to make his pilgrimage.
On April 19 , Malcolm X completed the Hajj , giving the seven times around the Kaaba , drinking from the Well of Zamzam and running through the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah seven times. According to the Autobiography, This trip allowed him to see Muslims of different races interacting as equals and came to believe that Islam can overcome racial problems.
International Travel :
Africa :
Malcolm X visited Africa on three separate occasions, once in 1959 and twice in 1964 . During his visits, he met with officials, gave interviews to newspapers, and spoke on radio and television Nkrumah of Ghana, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, and Ahmed Ben Bella of Algeria invited Malcolm X to serve in their governments.
In 1959 , Malcolm X traveled to Egypt (then known as the United Arab Republic ), Sudan , Nigeria and Ghana to arrange a tour in honor of Elijah Muhammad.
The first of two trips Malcolm X in Africa in 1964 lasted from April 13 until May 21 before and after his pilgrimage to Mecca. On May 8 , following his speech at the University Ibadan, Malcolm X was awarded an honorary member of the Nigerian Muslim Students Association. During this reception the students gave him the name "Omowale", meaning "the son has come home" in the Yoruba language . Malcolm X wrote in his autobiography that he "never received a precious honor."
On July 9th of 1964 , Malcolm X returned to Africa, and July 17 was welcomed at the second meeting of the Organization of African Unity in Cairo as a representative of the Organization for Afro-American Unity. At the time he returned to the United States on November 24 of 1964 , Malcolm had met with each of the prominent leaders of Africa and established an international connection between Africans on the continent and the diaspora .
On November 23 of 1964 , on his way to the U.S. from Africa, Malcolm stopped in Paris , where he spoke at the Chamber of the Mutual.
A week later, on November 30 , Malcolm X traveled to the United Kingdom , where he participated in a debate at the Oxford Union on December 3 . The theme of the debate was "Extremism in Defense of Liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." Interest in the debate was so high that was televised nationally by the BBC .
On February 5 of 1965 , Malcolm X returned to Europe . On February 8 spoke in London , before the first meeting of the Council of African Organizations. Malcolm X tried to go to France on February 9 , but was denied entry. On 12 February he visited Smethwick, near Birmingham , a place that had become a byword for racial division after the general elections of 1964 , when the Conservative Party won the parliamentary seat after rumors that his party candidates used the slogan "If you want a black to your neighbor, vote the Labour Party ".
In America :
After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X spoke to a wide variety of audiences in the United States, and in meetings of the Muslim Mosque, Inc. and the Organization of Afro-American Unity. It was one of the most sought after speakers on college campuses, and one of his top aides emphasized that takes every opportunity to talk with college students ". Malcolm X also addressed political parties like the Socialist Workers Party.
Tensions between Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam increased. Back in February of 1964 , a member of Temple Number Seven had given orders by the Nation of Islam to connect explosives in the car of Malcolm X. On March 20 of 1964 , Life published a photograph of Malcolm carrying a M1 Carbine while looking through a window. The image was trying to show his decision to defend himself and his family to the death threats he received.
The Nation of Islam and its leaders began threatening Malcolm X, both in private and in public. On March 23 of 1964 , Elijah Muhammad told the minister of Boston Louis X (later known as Louis Farrakhan) that hypocrites like Malcolm X should have "severed head". The issue of April 10 the newspaper Muhammad Speaks included a caricature of Malcolm X's head cut off and bouncing off the ground. On July 9 , John Ali, a top aide to Muhammad, answered a question about Malcolm X, saying that "anyone who opposes The Honorable Elijah Muhammad endangers his life ". The December 4 article in featured a Muhammad Speaks of Louis X in which he spoke against Malcolm X and stating that "a man as Malcolm is worthy of death ".
Some threats were made anonymously, and during the month of June of 1964 , monitoring the FBI recorded two threats. On June 8 , a man called Malcolm's house and told his wife that "say he is as good as dead." On June 12 , an FBI informant reported receiving a telephone call anonymous from someone who said that "Malcolm X will be liquidated".
In June of 1964 , the Nation of Islam sued claiming the home of Malcolm X in Queens (New York) . The suit was successful and Malcolm X was ordered to vacate the house. On February 14 of 1965 , the night before a scheduled hearing to postpone the eviction date, the house was on fire. Malcolm X and his family survived and no one was charged with any crime.
Death:
Murder
On February 21 of 1965 , at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan , Malcolm X began to speak at a meeting of the Organization of Afro-American Unity when a disturbance broke out in the crowd. A man shouted, "Black !, take your hands out of my pocket ". The bodyguard of Malcolm came to see what was happening while another man shot in the chest with a shotgun Malcolm. Along with two other people shot him 16 times. One of the murderers was captured and beaten by the crowd, but the others escaped. Malcolm X was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at University Medical Center of Columbia.
Talmadge Hayer, a black Muslim also known as Thomas Hagan, was arrested at the time. Witnesses identified two suspects, Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson, also members of the Nation of Islam. The city charged the three men accused in the case. At first Hayer denied involvement, but during the trial, confessed to having shot Malcolm X in the body, and said that Butler and Johnson were not present and no participated in the murder, but refused to name the men who had joined him in the shooting. However, the three men were convicted.
In 1977 and 1978 , Hayer submitted two affidavits in which it reaffirmed its statement that Butler and Johnson were not involved in the murder. In his affidavits Hayer named four men, all members of the Nation of Islam's Temple Number 25 of Newark , who participated with him in the crime. Hayer said a man, later identified as Wilbur McKinley, shouted and threw a smoke bomb to create a distraction. Hayer said that another man, later identified as William Bradley, had a shotgun and was the first to open fire on Malcolm X after the diversion. Hayer said he and a man later identified as Leon David, both armed with pistols , fired on Malcolm X immediately after the explosion of the gun . Hayer also said that a fifth man, later identified as Benjamin Thomas, participated in the conspiracy. Hayer's statements failed to convince the authorities to reopen the murder investigation.
Butler, now known as Muhammad Abdul Aziz, received probation in 1985 and became the head of the mosque in Harlem from the Nation of Islam in New York in 1998 , and continued to maintain his innocence. Johnson, now known as Khalil Islam, was released in 1987 . During his time in prison, he rejected the teachings of the Nation of Islam and converted to Sunnism . He also continues to maintain his innocence. Thomas Hagan was released on parole on April 27, 2010 after 44 years in prison.
Funeral :
The number of people who attended the Unity Funeral Harlem from 23 to 26 February of 1965 was estimated at between 14,000 and 30,000. Malcolm X's funeral was held on February 27 at the Temple of Faith in Church of God in Christ in Harlem. The Church had a capacity of more than 1,000 people, and also speakers were placed outside the temple and a local television station broadcast live the funeral.
Civil rights leaders like John Lewis , Bayard Rustin , James Forman , James Farmer , Jesse Gray and Andrew Young were present, in addition to an actor and activist Ossie Davis , who delivered the eulogy, describing him as "our bright black prince ".
Here in this final hour, in this quiet place, Harlem has come to say goodbye to one of its brightest hopes, which has now been extinguished, which was taken from us forever. Throughout its history, this beleaguered, unfortunate, but nonetheless proud community, never had a champion brave young African American that lies before us and still undefeated. And repeat the word as he would want it to do: African American. Malcolm was African American. Malcolm had stopped being black years ago. It had become too small a word, too weak and insignificant to him. Malcolm was bigger than that. Malcolm had become an African American and desperately wanted us to all his people, we became also in African Americans.
Still there are those who still consider it their duty, as friends of "black people" tell us that you repudiate, to flee even the presence of his memory, to save ourselves erasing the history of our turbulent times. And we will smile. They say it was full of hate, a fanatic, a racist could only bring evil to the cause for which you fight. And we will answer and tell them: Have you ever talked to Brother Malcolm? Have you ever touched or got you smile? Have you ever heard of it? Were you ever personally associated with violence or any public disturbance?, Because if you had you would know and have known it, would know why we should honor him. Malcolm was our pride, black pride living, this is the meaning it has had for his people. And to honor him, honor the best of ourselves. No matter how much we differed from him, or among us, its value as a man. Let her serve just starting to get closer to each other. Delivering his mortal remains to earth, the common mother of all. Secure in the knowledge that what we deliver to Earth is no longer a man but a seed after the winter of our discontent will emerge to meet. And then you know them by what was and is: a prince. Our own black shining prince who did not hesitate to die because he loved us so much.
Malcolm was buried in Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale (New York) . At the site of the tomb, after the ceremony, friends took the shovels and completed the burial themselves. The actress and activist Ruby Dee ( wife of Ossie Davis) and Juanita Poitier (wife of Sidney Poitier ), established the Committee of Concerned Mothers to raise funds to buy a house and pay the educational expenses of the family of Malcolm X.
Reactions to his death :
Reactions to the assassination of Malcolm X were varied. Martin Luther King sent a telegram to Betty Shabazz expressing sorrow for "the amazing and tragic murder of his counterpart."
Although not always agree on methods to solve the problems of race, I always had a deep affection for Malcolm and I think we had a great ability to put your finger on the existence and the root of the problem. It was an eloquent spokesman for his point of view and no one can honestly doubt that Malcolm had a great concern for the problems we face as a race. Although I know that this is a difficult time for you, I'm sure God will give strength to endure. I remember in my prayers and please know you have my condolences. Always consider me a friend and if I can do something to alleviate the heavy burden that is forced to take at this time, please feel free to call me.
Elijah Muhammad said at the convention of the Saviour's Day February 26 , Malcolm "is just what he preached".
The New York Times wrote that Malcolm X was "an extraordinary man and twisted" that "strange and pitifully wasted his life". The New York Post reported that "even its sharpest critics recognized his brilliance - often wild unpredictable and eccentric, but nevertheless, having the promise remains unfulfilled now ".
The international press, particularly in Africa , was compassionate. The Daily Times of Nigeria wrote that Malcolm X "will have a place in the palace of martyrs". The Times of Ghana compared him to John Brown and Patrice Lumumba among "a crowd of Africans and Americans who were martyred in the cause of freedom ". The Guangming Daily in Beijing said: "Malcolm was killed because he fought for freedom and equal rights". In Cuba , El Mundo described the assassination as "another racist crime to eradicate violence by fighting discrimination.
Allegations of conspiracy :
A few days after the assassination, questions were raised about who ultimately ultimate responsibility. On February 23 , James Farmer, leader of the Congress of Racial Equality , announced at a press conference that local drug dealers, not the Black Muslims, were to blame. Others accused the Police Department of New York , the FBI or the CIA , citing a lack of police protection and the ease with which the murderers entered the Audubon Ballroom.
In the decade of 1970 was released on COINTELPRO and other secret FBI programs whose purpose was to investigate and disrupt civil rights organizations during the years 1950 and 1960 . John Ali, national secretary of the Nation of Islam, was identified as an undercover FBI agent. Malcolm told a reporter that Ali had exacerbated tensions between him and Elijah Muhammad. He considered Ali his "archenemy" within the Nation of Islam leadership. On February 20 of 1965 , the night before the assassination of Malcolm, Ali met with Talmadge Hayer, one of the men convicted of the crime.
Some, including the Shabazz family, accused Louis Farrakhan of being involved in the plot to assassinate Malcolm X. In a speech in 1993 in the temple of the Nation of Islam in Chicago , Louis Farrakhan seemed to boast of the murder and recognize the responsibility of the Nation:
If we act with him like a nation deals with a traitor, who the hell cares? A nation must be able to deal with murderers and traitors and renegades.
In 1995 , Qubilah Bahiyah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm, was arrested for participating in a plot to assassinate Farrakhan.
In an interview on the television program 60 minutes in the year 2000 , Farrakhan said some of the things he said may have led to the murder of Malcolm X. He said: "I could have been complicit in what I said. I admit, and I regret that any word that I said caused the loss of a human being". A few days later Farrakhan denied that he had "ordered the murder of Malcolm X" but again recognized that "created an atmosphere that ultimately led to the murder of Malcolm X".
Philosophy :
Except for his autobiography, Malcolm X left no writings. His philosophy is known almost entirely due to the multitude of speeches and interviews he gave between 1952 until his death in 1965 . Many of the speeches, especially from the last year of his life, recorded and published.
Beliefs of the Nation of Islam :
Before leaving the Nation of Islam in 1964 , Malcolm X taught his beliefs in his speeches. These often contain the phrase "The Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches us that ...". It is practically impossible to discern whether Malcolm X's beliefs diverged from the teachings of the Nation of Islam. On one occasion Malcolm X was compared himself with a ventriloquist's dummy could only say that Elijah Muhammad had said.
Malcolm X said that black people were the original peoples of the world, and that whites were a race of devils who were created by an evil scientist named Yakub. The Nation of Islam believed that black people were superior white people, and that the disappearance of the white race was imminent.
When questioned about his statements that whites were devils, Malcolm X said that "history shows that the white man is a devil". He listed some of the historical reasons that, in his view, supported his argument: "Anyone who violates, and plunder, and enslave, and steal, and throw bombs at people ... anyone who does these things is nothing but a devil".
Malcolm X said that Islam was the "true religion of black mankind" and that Christianity was "the white man's religion" that had been imposed on blacks by their masters. He said the Nation of Islam was Islam in the same way it is practiced worldwide, but the teachings of the Nation varied from those of other Muslims, because they were adapted to the "just unfortunate" condition of black people in America. He taught that Wallace Fard Muhammad , the founder of the Nation, was Allah , and that Elijah Muhammad was his messenger or prophet .
While the civil rights movement fought against racial segregation , Malcolm X was in favor of complete separation of blacks from whites. The Nation of Islam proposed the creation of a country for black people in the southern United States as an interim measure until African Americans could return to Africa . Malcolm X also rejected the strategy of the rights movement civilian non-violence and instead recommended that black people use any means necessary to protect themselves.
Independent Reviews :
After he left the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X began to articulate their own opinions. During the last years of his life, his philosophy was flexible, and difficult to categorize their views on some issues. Some of the issues that Malcolm X returned frequently in his speeches showed a relative consistency of thought.
After leaving the Nation, Malcolm X announced his willingness to work with leaders of the civil rights movement, but, however, considered that the civil rights movement had to change their approach to human rights . Whenever the movement followed a civil rights struggle, the struggle remained a domestic issue. But instead, an African-American struggle for equal rights as a struggle for human rights could become an international problem and lead to the termination of movement to the United Nations . Malcolm X called on emerging countries of the world their support for the cause of African Americans.
Malcolm X continued to believe that African Americans were entitled to defend themselves against aggressors, arguing that if the government would not or could not protect black people should protect themselves "by any means necessary". also continued to reject the nonviolence as the only means of securing equality , declaring that he and other members of the Organization of Afro-American Unity were determined to win the freedom , the justice and equality "by any means necessary".
Malcolm X stressed the global perspective he had gained from his international travels. He emphasized the "direct connection" between the national struggle of African Americans for equal rights with the liberation struggles of the nations of the Third World . He said that African Americans were right when they thought of themselves as a minority in a global context, blacks were a majority, not a minority.
Although no longer called for the separation of blacks from whites, Malcolm X continued to advocate black nationalism, which he defined as self-determination for the African American community. In the last months of his life, however, Malcolm X began to reconsider their support for black nationalism after meeting with the revolutionaries of North Africa were white.
After his pilgrimage to Mecca , Malcolm X expressed a view on white people and racism that represented a profound change in philosophy in relation to when he was minister of the Nation of Islam. In a famous letter from Mecca, wrote that the white people who had met during his pilgrimage had forced him to "change" their thinking about race and "put aside some of [its] previous conclusions".
In a conversation of 1965 with Gordon Parks , two days before his assassination, Malcolm said:
Listening to leaders like Nasser, Ben Bella, and Nkrumah have made me realize the dangers of racism. I realized that racism is not just a problem for blacks and whites. There bloodbaths in all nations of the earth at one time or another.
Brother, remember the time that white college girl came into the restaurant in order to help reunite the Muslims blacks and whites, and I said that there was no remote possibility and was crying? Well, I have lived to regret that incident. In many parts of the African continent I saw white students helping black people. Something like this kills a lot of arguments. I did many things as black Muslim from which I now regret. I was a zombie then, like all Black Muslims. I was mesmerized. Well, I guess a man is entitled to make a fool if you are willing to pay the cost. This cost me 12 years.
That was a bad scene, brother. The sickness and madness of those days ... I'm glad to be free of them.
Legacy :
Malcolm X has been described as one of the largest and most influential African Americans in history. He is credited with increasing self-esteem of black Americans and re-connect them with their African heritage. is responsible for the spread of Islam in the black community in the United States.
Many African Americans, especially those living in cities of the northern United States, Malcolm X believed that better expressed their complaints about the inequality that the civil rights movement. One biographer says, expressing his frustration, Malcolm X "made clear that the price they had to pay if white Americans had access to the legitimate demands of the black".
In the late 60's , became more radical and activist, and his teachings were part of the foundation on which they built their movements. Black Power movement and Black Arts Movement, and the widespread adoption of the slogan "The black is beautiful", go back to the roots of Malcolm X.
During the late 80 's and early 90 , there was a resurgence of interest in Malcolm X among the young youth-driven fuel, in part, for use as an icon of the groups of hip-hop like Public Enemy . Images of Malcolm X could be found on shirts and jackets. This wave reached its peak in 1992 with the release of Malcolm X , a long-awaited film adapted from the Autobiography of Malcolm X.
Malcolm X House Site :
The Malcolm X House Site , located at 3448 Pinkney Street in North Omaha (Nebraska) , is the place where Malcolm Little spent his early years with his family. The house where the family lived Little was demolished in 1965 by owners who were unaware of his relationship with Malcolm X.
The place was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 , and a historical indicator identifies the field because of the importance of Malcolm X in American history and national culture. In 1987 , the site was added the registration of historic sites in Nebraska and was marked with a plaque of state.
