Malcolm X
In the course of human history there will always be change. In order to bring about that change there must be something that is so controversial that it can break people away from the normal routine they have been accustomed to. Few people can raise the amount of attention needed to fuel that controversy. Malcolm X was one of those few that would die trying to achieve that attention. Earl Little was a black Baptist minister and an avid civil rights activist. On May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska Earl and his wife Louise gave birth to Malcolm Little. Malcolm was a victim of prejudice from day one. Before the time Malcolm was four his family had to relocate twice to avoid death threats from the Black Legion (White Supremacists) regarding Earl's civil rights activism. Malcolm's family's attempts to avoid impending violence were unsuccessful. In 1929 their Lansing, Michigan home was burned to the ground, the police ruled the fire an accident. The family was able to battle through until 1931 when Earl's body was found lying across the town's trolley tracks. The police also ruled this an accident, the Little's, however, strongly believed both instances were no accident. Shortly after Louise suffered an emotional breakdown and was hospitalized, the children were split up amongst various foster home and orphanages. Malcolm proved to be a strong child and graduated at the top of his class in middle school. Strangely, Malcolm's future was forever altered when his favorite teacher told him that his dream of becoming a lawyer was "no realistic goal for a nigger." Dismayed, Malcolm dropped out of school and spent time in Boston working various jobs. He traveled to Harlem and began a criminal life where he organized narcotics, prostit...
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... This was exciting because not all books make you feel like you are the person that is being talked about and that you are experiencing everything that the person went through.
In conclusion The Autobiography of Malcolm X was informative, and exciting. This book informed me that Malcolm X was no different then any other man that had problems he was in trouble before. Should he be on a postage stamp? In my opinion, yes. Even though his life was controversial, he did bring about change. The difference between Malcolm X and everyone else was that he just didn't want to be heard by just a small amount of people around him but he wanted to be heard by the world. He wanted the world to know what he wanted, and what he wanted changed in the world. This booked helped me learn that it's easy to be known by some, but you have to almost fearless to be known by the whole world.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told by Alex Haley is about a man who changed the history of America. Malcolm (Little) X preached what he believed about racism, discrimination, and segregation. He went through many changes in his fight for equality. The three transformations that really changed the way Malcolm thought and preached where his transformation in prison, his transformation into the Islamic religion (following Elijah Muhammad), and the biggest transformation of all, his pilgrimage to Mecca. In all of Malcolm actions, teachings and transformations we learn different points of view and we get a good look at different aspects of events. The life of Malcolm (Little) X as told in his autobiography should be read by all.
Of the people whose names are mentioned in history, some men like Thomas Edison are praised for their genius minds, while others such as Adolf Hitler are criticized for leaving a depressing legacy behind. While it is relative easy to notice the type of legacies these two men left, legacies of other men are often vague and they seem to be imbedded in gray shadows. This is how many people view the life of Malcolm X. Malcolm X during his lifetime had influenced many African Americans to step up for their rights against the injustices by the American government. One on hand, he has been criticized for his hard stances that resemble extremism, while on the other hand he has been praised him for his effort in raising the status for African Americans. The extremes in viewing his life from the modern day perspective have often come from reading his climatic speech The Ballot or the Bullet that he gave in many cities across America in 1964. When he was with the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X favored Blacks to be separated from the Whites, and during this time he strongly opposed White Supremacy. This also seems quite prevalent in his speech The Ballot or the Bullet. However, one events during the last year of his life reveal that he wanted the Blacks and the Whites to coexist as peaceful Americans.
Malcolm X, born in 1925 as Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska lived with the knowledge that his family house was burned down and that his father was killed by the Ku Klux Klan because he refused to vacate an area that was “supposed” to be for Whites only. His father was an independent man who wanted to fend for his family by himself and not have to rely on anyone
he had grown frustrated with the non-violent, integrated struggle for civil rights and worried that blacks would ultimately lose control of their own movement. The reason Malcolm X was so beloved and iconic was due to him being a key figure in the black movement about the same time as Martin Luther King jr.. The era of the 1950-1960, advocating black pride, a separate black community and violence disguised as self defense. He stood against white aggression. Changing the last name of his to an x to demonstrate how he denies what he said to be a “slave” name. Charismatic and eloquent. His death in 1965 is what sparked and later laid the firm foundation for the Black Power movements in the late 1960s and 1970s. Opposite to popular belief, this man had done more harm than good in using violence against the white “devil”. It only proved those that though African Americans were only violent animals right. Even Martin Luther King Jr didn't like what how Malcolm X was going about gaining their civil rights , even going as far as saying he hated the use of the words “black power” because. Ultimately Malcolm didn't make any type of immensely big impact on the civil rights movement in a good way or help them stop the spread of racism and
Malcolm X was a very interesting and complicated person. Throughout his life, Malcolm had exposure to practically every type of person the world had to offer. In his younger years, he excelled in his community predominately surrounded by whites. He then got into the hustling business within the black community which supplied for all types of people. After that, he joined the Nation of Islam, joining himself with many Muslims. Lastly, Malcolm went on a Hajj to Africa, where his communication with a diverse group of people expanded. Each time Malcolm had a new group of people in his life, he had a different alias to go by. Whichever one is remembered most, Malcolm Little, Malcolm X or El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, his impact on society will be remembered forever.
Malcolm X is widely known as one of the most influential figures in the movement of Civil Rights. Although his views did change over time, he was always very sincere about his beliefs and stood by them one-hundred percent.
The autobiography of Malcolm X captures the personal growth and the journey of Malcolm Little, also known as Malcolm X. Throughout his life, Malcolm’s experiences shaped him into the human rights activist that we are all familiar with today. In his early age Malcolm believed every white person was malicious, he was a criminal, and he believed that Christianity prevented the progression of African Americans- later on in life, Malcolm became a controversial human rights activist, believed that white people were “well-meaning” people, and was a devout Muslim (pg. 383).
Malcolm X was a hero for his time and beyond. I believe that a true hero deviates from society, and follows his own compass. A hero fights against all odds, and makes new ones. He fights for more than his own struggles but the struggles of every single person, and for generations to come. Malcolm X was a hero in more ways than one. He was a true hero.
Who would think that a petty criminal would become one of the greatest leaders of civil rights movement of all times? A man named Malcolm X after spent six years in jail came to help black Americans fight for their civil right at the time of the oppression caused by segregation, injustice, and the inequalities. I say, today Malcolm X is recognized national by his speech “The Ballot or the Bullet,” and he is celebrated on Black History Month, even though in the eyes of the white man, his speech was radical. Malcolm X speech “The Ballot or the Bullet” was a great speech because he connected well to his audience by showing anger, pain, injustice, fear and discrimination.
Malcolm X is born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska. His life is full of discrimination and racial violence. When Malcolm as a child he moved to Michigan with his family where they continue to experience persecution and violence. White people murder Malcolm’s father and forced his mother into a mental hospital. Malcolm moves to Boston, to live with his half-sister, Ella. In Boston Malcolm quickly becomes involved in urban nightlife. Malcolm was into gambling, drinking, doing drugs, and dating an older white woman, Sophia. He then moves to New York, where he begins working as a hustler in Harlem. Malcolm’s various jobs there include running numbers, selling drugs, and steering white people to black brothels. When life becomes too dangerous is Harlem, he returns to Boston, where he becomes a house burglar and is eventually arrested. In prison, Malcolm transforms himself, converting to the branch of Islam promoted by the Nation of Islam. Inspired by faith, Malcolm stops using drugs, he reads voraciously, prays, and studies English and Latin. The prison releases Malcolm on parole. Malcolm rises quickly from the rank of temple assistant in Detroit to the Nation’s first national minister. Malcolm X becomes known throughout the United States, even outside of Muslim circles, as a fiery advocate for black unity and militancy. The Nation of Islam’s leaders resent and fear Malcolm despite his allegiance to their cause, and they suspend him from the organization. The Nation of Islam’s frustration with Malcolm intensifies, and Malcolm begins receiving death threats. After a divisive argument with Elijah Muhammad the leader of Nation of Islam, Malcolm leaves organisation.
Malcolm X was a great Civil Rights leader that was ahead of his time, dealing with the inequalities and the black struggle of the 1960's. The 1960's was an era that defined the black race as a lower status than the white race merely based on color. Malcolm X defined race through his Muslim religion believing that blacks would one day reign supreme if only they accepted Allah as God, took Islam as their only religion, and followed the honorable Elijah Muhammad as their messenger. He also believed that the White race was ungodly and they were doomed for their unjust rule unable to accept Allah because of there evil nature. Clearly X's definition of race was that the Black race was "good" and "godly", and the White race was wrong and evil. This idea of race was taken from author David Howard Pitney's book, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and the Struggle of the 1950s and the 1960s A Brief History with Documents. The main source document of these ideas is based on one of "Malcolm's classic, fiery denunciations, as spokesperson for the Nation of Islam, of white America and the Western word" (Pitney113). Called "From God's Judgments of White America". The strengths of Malcolm X s approach towards his definition of race appealed to Black America by giving hope to the struggle of the civil rights movement. However, the weakness of his approach was one-sided alienating the white race, non-violent black people taking part in the Civil Rights struggle, and all other religions besides Islam. Malcolm X's intended audience for his views on race were the American people of the 1960's during the civil rights movement and all future generations of America. Malcolm X's views both fit into and countered the views of the time.
Racism is a problem that the American people have grappled with since colonial times. The 1960's saw the rise of Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcolm X, who not only influenced the civil rights movement but attempted to solve the problem of racism in this country. On February 16, 1965, Malcolm X gave a speech called Not Just An American Problem, but a World Problem. In his speech he provides a theory on the relationship between media and racism called image making which still has validity today. On first reading, Malcolm's tone is angry and his theory on image making sounds absurd. He states: They (racists) use the press to get public opinion on their side. . . this is a science called image making. they hold you in check through this science of imagery. They even make you look down upon yourself, by giving you a bad image of yourself. Some of our own Black people who have eaten this image themselves and digested it -- until they themselves don't want to live in the Black community. Yet, current television programming seems to favor this idea. Local news programs continue to show colored communities as dangerous and gang-infested. They continually rely on the reports of these areas for the bulk of their news and overlook the positive images that residents of these areas try to create. For example, KNTV news continually reports on the thefts and shootings in East San Jose but does not make an effort to show how residents are dealing with these situations.
Malcolm X had many difficult times throughout his life, but he never let that stop him from becoming a human rights activist. Although many didn’t agree with his methods, he still found a way to make people hear about what he believed was true. In Malcolm X’s life change was one of the only things he could rely on because it was always happening. Malcolm X wanted peace among all, and he also just wanted to be free from all the hate that was going on in the world.
Malcolm X Read an excerpt from the book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, by Malcolm X and Alex Haley. In this part of the book, Malcolm discusses his quest for knowledge. He starts off by telling us about how he wrote to his Harlem, hustler friends and told them all about Allah and Mr. Elijah Muhammad, the two main figures in the Islamic religion. He never got a single reply and figured it was because the average hustler and criminal couldn't read. He also thought that maybe they thought he had gone crazy, because after all he was writing to them about the devil; the white devil.
The history of the United States has in it much separation or segregation due to race. For a long time our country has seen racism as a large problem and this has caused ethnic groups to be looked down upon and forced into a lifestyle of difficulties and suppression. Due to this, races, particularly African-Americans, have been forced to deal with unequal opportunity and poverty, leading to less honorable ways of getting by and also organizations that support change. Malcolm X is one strong example of an African American man who became apart of a group acted against it, uniting people to promote the advancement of colored people and change. Malcolm's thoughts towards race and civil right in the previous years were displayed in a less way to the people and "by any means necessary" perspective. After his pilgrimage in 1964 his view of civil rights had quickly changed into a more complete view of civil rights, and the peoples views towards him. No one really knows what kind of impact Malcolm X would have had on history if he had not been assassinated. His beliefs and philosophy did gain him a place in history as one of the best-known Black Nationalist Leaders. Everyone seems to have known who Malcolm X was, and he ranks high with all other Black leaders. His ideas were radical and he was very out spoken. He was a major force in the development of black history. He fought not only for his people but also for all oppressed people everywhere. He was well spoken and he laid the groundwork for the black power movement of the late l960's.