Malcolm X’s Strategies for Freedom

Throughout history, America has had many great role models and historical figures. The list is endless ranging from great presidents like George Washington to Civil Rights activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. However, one historical figure seems to stand out above all of the rest. Malcolm Little, also known as Malcolm X, was a civil rights icon that is credited for being an important part of African American History. Malcolm X’s strategies for civil rights equality include Black Nationalism, public influences, and political views.

Black Nationalism played a very large part in the way Malcolm X organized and strategized his tactics. After joining the Nation of Islam in prison, Malcolm X made good use of the prison library. He educated himself so that he would be knowledgeable of Elijah Muhammad’s teachings (Benson, Brannen, and Valentine 949). Malcolm X’s message for many whites was located in the conversation from militant black separatism multicultural universalism (Baker 239). After leaving the Nation of Islam Malcolm X did not desert all of his Black Nationalists convictions. He still talked about black-sponsored business ventures, African American-run schools, and a cultural renewal of African American communities (Benson, Brannen, and Valentine 949). Malcolm X traveled to the Holy City of Mecca and throughout North Africa. He discovered Orthodox Islam and changed his views greatly (Benson, Brannen, and Valentine 949). The Middle East and Africa experiences greatly broadened Malcolm’s mind (Baker 239). His limited vocabulary of Black Nationalism was insufficient to address the challenges he so clearly saw when confronting Africa (Baker 239). Black Nationalism was a huge part of Malcolm’s beliefs and strategies and they in...

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...g his Black Nationalist views, political influences, and his political views he changed the face of America and struck fear in the hearts of many racist Caucasian Americans around the U.S.

Works Cited

Baker, Houston A. “Malcolm X: Life of Reinvention” African American review 45. (2012): 244. History Reference Center. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.

Benson, Sonia, Daniel E. Brannen Jr., and Rebecca Valentine. “Malcolm X” UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History. Eds Lawrence W. Baker and Sarah Hermsen. Vol. 5: K-M. Detroit: Gale Cengage, 2009. Print 8 Vols.

Burchard, Veronica. “From James Madison to Malcolm X: Black Power and the American Founding.” OAH Magazine of History 22.3 (2008): 41-45. History Reference Center.

Web. 6 Feb. 2014.

Carson, Clayborne. “Malcolm X” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2014. Web 31 Jan. 2014 Maga, Timothy. The 1960’s. New York: Facts on File, 2003. Print.