"The press is so powerful in its image-making role, it can make a criminal look like he 's the victim and make the victim look like he 's the criminal." -- Malcolm X. When Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam rose to popularity through the 1950’s and 1960’s it was highly criticized by the media. Both parties sought to uplift African Americans and pull them from the grasps of white oppression and superiority. Words such as “black supremacists,” “anti-white,” “extremists,” and many others were used in the media to characterize Malcolm X and the NOI. These words misconstrued their real beliefs and were often used to debase and discredit their motives. When addressing issues Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam became victims of distortion by the media and were commonly vilified and misinterpreted.
A television documentary that aired in 1959 called “The Hate that Hate produced,” exemplifies this media backlash. The documentary was about Black Nationalism which focused mainly on the Nation of Islam. Throughout the documentary NOI leaders like Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X were interviewed to explain their philosophies while addressing criticism and questions produced. Mike Wallace was the narrator of the documentary and denounced everything the NOI and their leaders stood for.
“The NOI believed that white racism was a
Because the organization was restricted to only blacks and promoted the separation of races it was seen as “anti-white” and “racist.” Wallace described the group as an “organized hate group preaching racial hatred.” The Black Nationalist ideals were also associated with Black Power organizations which were known for violence. Words such as “black extremists” and “black racists” were commonly used to vilify the NOI. An organization dedicated to helping African Americans was transformed to be seen as black cult or a group of black supremacist by the
On February 11th 1965 Malcolm X gave a speech at the London school of economics. In Malcolm’s speech Malcolm discussed the racism that plagued the United States during the 1960s. During this speech Malcolm brought up police brutality and the riots that it caused, saying that the riots were nothing more than a reaction by the African community because of police brutality. Since Malcolm x’s time many things have been accomplished for the equality of Africans in America; however In today’s society America still feels the anguish of riots based on police brutality. Malcom X’s view on racism was a “whatever it takes” type of theology, justifying violence to end racism. During Malcolm X’s speech on February 11th 1965 Malcolm sheds light on many of
The Universal Negro Improvement Association is an organization (UNIA) that was developed by a man named Marcus Garvey. Now Garvey was not the only one to have established this organization, however he was the face of it. His ideas, connections, work, and influences were all huge factors in establishing the UNIA. However, creating Garvey’s vision into a reality was not an easy road, the organization changed a lot throughout the decades and has impacted many lives. The Universal Negro Improvement Association and Marcus Garvey did not just stop at singling out one object, but reached out in many different ways also.
Pement, Eric. “Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam: Part Two.” Cornerstone. 1997, vol. 26, issue 112, p. 32-36, 38. < http://answering-islam.org.uk/NoI/>.
Booker over came the obstacles of the free black man by educating himself and other blacks to become “equal” to whites. Until the start of World War I African Americans had a difficult time. His speaking tours and private persuasion tried to equalize public educational opportunities and to reduce racial violence. There were many gains earned after the Civil War seemed lost by the time of World War I because racial violence and lynching reached an all time high. However, both the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Urban League (NUL) were founded by blacks and whites during this time. Both of these major civil rights organizations make efforts on the part of blacks and their white allies to insure that the United States provides "freedom and justice to all".
Race and religion are two concepts in American culture that can really tie people together, or clearly separate them apart. A group forged by strong common roots in both race and religion can be a powerful societal force, if it wants to be. The Nation of Islam is a small but growing religion in America that has become somewhat of a social movement because of its strong and radical ideas on race. In this paper, I will try to explore the beliefs of the Nation of Islam, and the ramifications it could and has had on racial relations in America. The Nation of Islam, or NOI, is a relatively new religion. The first temple of Islam was established in Detroit by Master Fard Muhammed in 1930. Much of the theology was based on the simple facts that: "Allah is god, the white man is the devil, and the so-called Negroes are the Asiatic black people, the cream of the earth."(1) And, in accordance with their bizarre view of creation, involving a mad scientist creating the white race from the black race, the twentieth century represents the time for black people to regain their rightful position as god¹s chosen people. (1) The Nation of Islam was spawned from Orthodox Islam, an age-old religion. However, Orthodox Islam has openly denounced the NOI as a heretic sect for three main reasons: the NOI¹s rejection of the belief in an afterlife, its tendency to view human leaders as deified figures, and its strong racist attitudes. (2) For a brief time, during the seventies, Wallace Deen Muhammed became the leader of the NOI and tried to take it in a new direction, more conforming to "true Islamic beliefs." This group is now called the American Muslim Mission and still exists in small numbers today. (1) ...
“I don’t even call it violence when it’s in self defense; I call it intelligence.” were once words spoken from a man greatly known in the African American community. This man was Malcolm X. An expressive public speaker, with a charismatic personality, and an untiring organizer, Malcolm X expressed the pent up anger, frustration, and bitterness of African Americans during the major phase of the civil rights movement from 1955 to 1965. Malcolm X spoke of a violent revolution, which would bring about radical change for the black race, while a man with the name of Martin Luther King Jr. spoke out to all people. Martin Luther King Jr. promoted non-violence, civil rights, and the end to racial segregation, while Malcolm X dreamed of a separate nation for African Americans. Malcolm’s keen intellect, sharp wit, and passionate radicalism are clear in The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley. However Things such as his personality, his career and the impact that he’s had on history may have changed if certain key events in his life had been different.
One of which is the low angle shot that is found throughout this scene, which makes Malcolm look both intimidating and captivating. It is clear that he is the center of attention and that all eyes are on him, making him the most dominating presence in the room. This contributes to the Nation of Islam’s jealousy. This low angle shot may also be a depiction of the NOI supporters that are in the crowd and the perspective that they’re getting, as they literally and figuratively look up to this man. Another camera angle that is commonly transitioned to throughout the scene is the closeup. The closeup during the speech allows us to delve into the passion of Malcolm and how he is able to create an unsettling feeling in the eyes of the viewers. Malcolm has a very sheer smile on his face during these closeups while he spews Elijah’s words against the “white devil” sounding like that of a hate mongerer. A final camera angle found in this scene is the medium long shot, towards the final point of his speech where Malcolm X calls for Elijah Muhammad’s ruling of “complete separation between the Black race and the White race.” This call done in the medium shot is meant to be a segway to introduce Elijah Muhammad to the crowd but to also create a display of unity that everyone sitting on the stage is calling for instead of it being a commandment from
Many years ago the KKK was labeled a Hate group for obvious reasons. Lately a new group, Black Lives Matter have emerged in our society creating the same threat and domestic terrorism as the KKK. -Michael Hamilton of Denver,
The NOI was founded by Wallace D Ford in 1930, with Elijah Mohammed as the “prophet,” later replaced by the more famous. Malcolm X. The Nation of Islam hated white America as much as white America hated them. They are all a lot. They campaigned for equality but segregation to remain. separate, but to gain the same facilities as white people had and not.
Malcom X All men are created equal. This statement was the basis of the civil right movements of the 1960's. Malcom X is a man that promoted a society in which all human beings were equally respected. He believes that blacks should achieve that goal by any means necessary. In a time when blacks were not allowed to sit in the front of the bus, using the same bathroom, or were not admitted to Universities. Malcom X's cry of justice was believed to be the voice of all blacks behind closed doors. Malcom Little grew up as poor and did not have much parental support. His father was run over by a street car when he was six. Soon after his father's death, his mother was put in a mental hospital. He grew up in East Lansing and Boston. He was a pimp, a hustler, drug user, and a drug dealer. He worked in the Harlem underworld and was almost killed by his boss after he betrayed him. Malcom turned to robbery and was caught by the police and sentenced to 10 years of hard labor. While in jail, he was introduced to the Nation of Islam, a Black Muslim group, and changed his name to Malcom X. The X replaced the slave name that was given by the white masters and stands for the his real name that he never knew. After his release from prison he started preaching for the Nation of Islam (NOI). His preaching was known for its hatred overtone. He describes America as a house with a "bomb" inside and it is about to explode. Unless the white people want the house to explode and kill everyone inside, they should take the bomb out and give it a house of their own. His speeches were very popular among angry blacks and he was frequently on the front page of the newspaper. It was rumored that other Nation of Islam members were jealous about his popularity and worried about the power he was gaining. After the JFK assassination, Malcom stated: "President Kennedy never foresaw that the chickens would come home to roost so soon... Being an old farm boy myself, chickens coming home to roost never did make me sad; they always made me glad." After many death calls from irritated Whites, The Nation of Islam started to distance themselves from Malcom.
According to the FBI files on the Nation of Islam, one of its principles was to ?separate the black man from the devil through the establishment of a black nation? (FBI). Many publications propounded on this philosophy. For example, Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam, wrote in Message to the Blackman in America, ?it is far more important to teach separation of the Blacks and Whites in America than prayer? (Book Summary). According to Elijah Muhammad, integration and intermarriage between Blacks and Whites are an attempt by Whites to confuse Blacks, keep them enslaved, and prevent them from learning Nation of Islam's teachings. Furthermore, Blacks who assimilate into mainstream culture were regarded by the Nation of Islam as ?disgraceful Uncle Toms? (FBI) who simply seek to please their ?slave-masters? children? (FBI). Granted, these statements are coming from FBI files which clearly did not support the NOI movement, but the message that the Nat...
A long-standing issue in America is racism with Caucasians historically being the dominant race. Although racism is not as severe of an issue as it was in the past, even today there is still a population of people, known as White Supremacists, that believe Christian Caucasians are supreme over all other collective groups. There are many White Supremacist groups, which have nuances among them. For example, some are politically focused trying to only have certain officials elected, while others are religiously focused trying to further their religious ideals. Some are even radical as well going so far as to harass and even murder those who are not like them. One of the groups focusing specifically on religion is the Aryan Nations. Aryan Nations, a religiously driven, American white supremacist group, perverts biblical text to rationalize their beliefs for themselves and recruitment of more members. Members of the Aryan Nations believe in racism, segregation, and have acted on their beliefs.
The Nation of Islam, which Malcolm X was an important member of, is not a religious organization as the name suggests but rather an organization whose goal was to make the lives of African Americans better instead of actually teaching the proper ethics of Islam. One of the main objectives of this organization was Black Nationalism, through which Black leaders can control the areas where there is a majority of African Americans. This cause was greatl...
Malcolm X throughout his whole life was one person. However, given his experiences, evolutions and phases that he went through in his 39-year life, he went by several different names. From the beginning he struggled with his racial and religious identity which led him to start going by different names. When he had a revelation he would then change his name. Malcolm X is most remembered for being a former criminal turned key figure in the civil rights movement next to the likes of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. Unlike those two however he was most known for his advocacy for Black Nationalism and suggested that violence is the answer. His most famous phrase was how he we wanted freedom and equality “by any means necessary”, in a very
On November 10th, 1963 Malcolm X, later known as el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, delivered his “Message to the Grass Roots” speech to the Northern Negro Grass Roots Leadership Conference held at the King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan. 1963 was a year of change, and a year of turmoil for African-Americans and the nation was in the midst of the (African-American) civil rights movement. Malcolm X’s speech would be one of his last speeches as part of the Nation of Islam, a group that was found 33 years prior.