Malcolm X Research Paper

INTRODUCTION:

MALCOLM X- WHO WAS HE? :

Malcolm X was one of the most influential Black leaders that the world has seen so far. He was born in the year 1925 as Malcolm Little in Nebraska, U.S. His legacy is not only limited to other African Social Movements, various other Civil Rights Movements but also in Black studies, Black Arts Movements and other movements concerning Black Nationalism.

Malcolm X was critical of the idea of White Supremacy and Black oppression right from his childhood. Though short lived, his road to Black Political Empowerment was a long one. He was of the belief that the African-Americans could be liberated from negative social and empowered only when they fused their historical knowledge with the cultural knowledge.

One such important and life changing event was when Malcolm X became a member of the Nation of Islam, a small sect of black Muslims who embraced the ideology of Black nationalism. He came in contact with NOI when he was held as a prisoner for larceny. After his release, Malcolm X abandoned his surname “Little” and adopted the surname “X” as his tribute to the unknown name of his African ancestry.

Post release, in 1952 Malcolm X officially became a member of NOI and travelled to Michigan where he came in contact with then NOI leader Elijah Muhammad and both emphasized on expanding the Black Nationalist movement nationwide. Within no time, Malcolm X managed to gain prominence and the NOI grew from being an organization constituting of mere 400 members to a body of 40000

It was Garvey’s socio-political philosophy of Black Nationalism that shaped and influenced Malcolm X’s ideology of Black Nationalism. Such an early exposure to Black Nationalism was crucial in providing Malcolm X with a foundation that helped him largely in embracing Black Nationalism as his political ideology. His ideology emphasized on group empowerment through cultural pride, economic development and social separation. The reason why he embraced this particular ideology was to broaden the struggle against Black oppression. In the course, he managed to reach and work with numerous local Black community and joined hands with other civil rights organizations and leaders like Martin Luther King. Jr, whose offers he had rejected earlier. Malcolm X upon collaborating with other civil rights movements attempted to internationalize the struggle for African-Americans and Africans in the diaspora as an advocated of Pan