Dubbed “ the angriest black man in America ,” Malcolm X ‒ where the “X” implies his rejection of a surname linked to his ancestors’ slavery ‒ transformed his life from a street criminal into a world leader of extraordinary charisma.
Family education
Malcolm Little was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. Earl Little, his father, was not a simple Baptist preacher: as an active member of the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association), he had lost an eye and three brothers to racial violence; he was convinced that blacks could not obtain dignity in the USA and transmitted this belief to his numerous children, among whom Malcolm was the only one admitted to the secret meetings of the UNIA . Unlike most African-American families of the time, however, the Littles were self-sufficient: they owned a house with land, grew vegetables and raised animals.
Malcolm’s life changed dramatically in 1929 when the Black Legion (a white supremacist group) burned down their home. Two years later, his father was attacked and left on the tram tracks; the authorities ruled the death a suicide, denying the family insurance compensation. His mother Louise soon began to show signs of mental illness, and the family fell into poverty, surviving on minimal benefits and odd jobs, while Malcolm and his brothers hunted wild animals and shoplifted to feed themselves.
The formative years
Given his family situation, in 1936 Malcolm was placed in foster care but, caught committing petty thefts, he ended up in a reformatory . Here he became passionate about studying and achieved good results so he asked to move in with his half-sister Ella in the black ghetto of Boston , Roxbury. In the meantime, his mother was admitted to the psychiatric hospital in Kalamazoo.
In Boston, despite his sister’s recommendations, Malcolm immediately immerses himself in ghetto life . He begins working as a shoeshine boy in a dance hall, but soon finds himself drinking, smoking, taking drugs and betting on the races. During those years he changes numerous jobs, begins a relationship with a white girl and shares an apartment with a friend, Shorty.
Crimes and capture
In 1942, Malcolm settled permanently in New York , working as a waiter and playing for tips in illegal lotteries. He rented a room in a brothel and began to exploit prostitution: when an undercover policeman caught him in the act, he lost his job and his home. He then began to deal marijuana and soon became so well known to the authorities that he began dealing in other cities as well; finally, he entered the circuit of illegal lotteries and burglaries. His criminal career ended when he repaired a stolen watch: arrested, in February 1946 he was sentenced to 10 years, even though the standard sentence for burglary is only two years.
Rebirth in prison
During his years in prison, Malcolm discovers the transformative power of reading. He is allowed to keep books in his cell and reads incessantly: reading marks the beginning of his transformation from a criminal to an intellectual and leader who would change the history of the American civil rights movement.
Behind bars, Malcolm also faces his cocaine addiction and begins correspondence courses in history and literature, making the most of his time in prison.
The epistolary exchange with his brother Philbert , who converted to Islam, becomes fundamental and Malcolm begins to see Christianity as a legacy of slavery imposed by whites. This awareness transforms him: he abandons smoke and pork and rejects the surname inherited from his white masters, becoming simply “Malcolm X”.
His correspondence with Elijah Muhammad , leader of the Nation of Islam, instead, pushes him to study even more intensely to enrich his vocabulary and improve his writing: it is the beginning of an intellectual renaissance that will transform the small-time criminal into a formidable orator.
Preacher on the streets
In August 1952 , after being released from probation, Malcolm X moved in with his brother Wilfred, a devout frequenter of Temple Number One in Detroit. Although he worked menial jobs to support himself, he devoted every free moment to proselytism in bars and on the streets , trying to convince African Americans to attend religious services. When he was called up for the draft for the Korean War, he declared himself without hesitation as a Muslim and a conscientious objector, marking another stage in his personal evolution.
He soon began speaking at temple assemblies and became an assistant pastor . After a brief stint on the Ford assembly lines, in June 1954 he made his final choice: he became a full-time preacher.
Love According to Malcolm X
Malcolm’s vision of relationships with women is based on traditional principles : building a family and balancing a couple, where the man commands and the woman respects. Despite this apparent detachment from the female world, his heart does not remain indifferent to the encounter with a “sister” from the Muslim community.
In New York he met Betty Sanders , a native of Detroit, one of the few believers to have attended college: when her adoptive parents had put her before the choice between supporting her studies and associating with Muslims, Betty had chosen the faith, becoming financially independent. On January 14, 1958, the two married in Indiana; their first daughter was born in November of the same year, and the family moved to Queens, New York, where Malcolm continued to preach with enormous success, especially among young people and immigrants.
The Rise and Conflict in the Nation of Islam
As Elijah Muhammad’s right-hand man, Malcolm assumed increasingly decisive roles within the Nation of Islam. This rapid advancement generated envy and hostility among other members of the movement, and tensions increased when, in 1959, a newspaper report highlighted how the organization essentially proposed reverse racism, insisting on complete separation from whites.
In response to media criticism, Malcolm intensifies his public presence . He participates in numerous debates and rallies reserved exclusively for African Americans and his voice becomes increasingly powerful and unmistakable in the civil rights landscape.
The clash with the establishment
In 1962 , his space in “Muhammad Speaks”, the official newspaper of the Nation of Islam, was progressively reduced: it was a clear retaliation orchestrated by other members of the movement. Rather than moderate his position, Malcolm began to publicly demonstrate his dissent towards the internal policies of the organization . His fierce criticism of Martin Luther King ’s pacifism marked a breaking point with the mainstream of the civil rights movement.
Criticism of the March on Washington in 1963, during which the White House invited the leaders of the civil rights movement to a debate, represents another step towards the break with Elijah Muhammad. The final break comes when two former secretaries denounce the leader as the father of four illegitimate children: Malcolm cannot tolerate such immoral conduct and abandons the movement that had trained him.
A broader horizon: travel and transformation
Free from the constraints of the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X began a series of international travels with the ambitious goal of building a “black superstructure” that would overcome national and ethnic divisions. In 1964, thanks to the financial support of his sister Ella, he made the pilgrimage to Mecca , an experience that profoundly transformed his vision. He thus came closer to Sunni Islam and obtained official recognition from the court of the Hajj committee, which entered his name in the Sacred Register as el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz.
He also returned from this trip with another awareness : there, skin color was completely irrelevant in social relations (although he noted the persistent segregation of women), an experience that led him to reconsider his separatist positions. Upon returning to the United States, he founded two new organizations: the Muslim Mosque Inc., a religious movement, and the Organization of Afro-American Unity, a political group that reflected his ideological evolution.
The Price of Freedom of Thought
His political and intellectual independence comes at a cost: Malcolm begins to receive numerous death threats and several assassination attempts. The first fails when the agent, an admirer, confesses the plan, but this is followed by an attempted poisoning and an explosive attack that puts him and his family in danger.
On February 21, 1965 , as he was preparing to speak at Audubon Hall in New York, three men sitting in the front row, all members of the Nation of Islam, killed him with 16 gunshots. Thus, at just 39 years old, one of the most powerful voices in the fight for African-American rights passed away.
The legacy of an evolving thought
Malcolm X left an indelible mark on the history of human rights in the United States . He began as a supporter of black nationalism under the influence of the Nation of Islam and promoted racial separation and self-sufficiency for African-American communities; his approach, in stark contrast to King’s pacifism, argued that the oppressed should defend themselves “by any means necessary.” After the pilgrimage to Mecca, however, his vision broadened towards a more inclusive perspective, recognizing the possibility of interracial solidarity. Towards the end of his life, he moved towards more moderate positions, without ever abandoning the fundamental principles of self-determination and black pride and testifying, through his difficult but exciting personal journey, to the complexity of the fight against racial oppression.
Malcolm X: famous quotes
- Usually when men are sad they do nothing; they just cry about their situation. But when they get angry, then they do something to change things.
- It is impossible for a white person to believe in capitalism and not believe in racism. You can’t have capitalism without racism.
- Peace cannot be separated from freedom because those who are not free cannot be at peace.
- No one can give you freedom. No one can give you equality or justice or anything else. If you’re a man, you take it.
- We want to achieve freedom by any means necessary. We want to achieve justice by any means necessary. We want to achieve equality by any means necessary.
Malcolm X in a nutshell
What is the meaning of the “X” in Malcolm?
The “X” symbolizes the African surname lost with slavery. Malcolm abandoned “Little” to assert his own identity and independence.
What did Malcolm X stand for?
Malcolm X fought for the rights of African Americans. Initially he advocated separation from whites and self-defense, but after a trip to Mecca he promoted racial equality.
What was the relationship between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King?
Although they shared the goal of justice for African Americans, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King had opposing strategies: King preached nonviolence like Gandhi , while Malcolm X advocated self-defense. It was only in 1964 that they began to recognize common ground.
How has Malcolm X’s thinking changed over time?
From a radical militant of the Nation of Islam to a more inclusive leader: after the trip to Mecca, he abandoned separatist rhetoric and opened up to the idea of unity between the races.
Who Killed Malcolm X?
Malcolm X was assassinated on February 21, 1965, in New York City by three members of the Nation of Islam, including Talmadge Hayer. The case has raised questions about possible government involvement.
