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Malcolm x what he did for civil rights
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Malcolm X: A Cultural Revolutionary
Malcolm X was known not because he was a martyr to the cause of civil rights or because of any inherent contributions he may have made to the solution of the black race problem, but because he was the uncompromising symbol of resistance and the spokesman for the non-nonviolent “black man” in America. Malcolm X had achieved this position due to his belief that the civil rights had merely tokenism gains towards the improvement of black Americans, although in a major thrust for racial integration (“Encyclopedia of World Biography”). His goal towards racial equality motivated him to call upon all sections of the black community and to formulate a solution to the problems facing black Americans, allowing him to pursue his dream of a world where his people will walk in freedom and dignity (Clarke, Bailey, and Grant 4). Thus, to achieve this dream, Malcolm X proactively advocated his philosophy of Black Nationalism and revolutionized the black mind, greatly impacting the cultural consciousness of African-Americans during the second half of the 20th century in the United States.
In 1965, Malcolm X shocked America when he proclaimed in his speech that African Americans must overcome racism and oppression by “any means necessary” (Mis 4). X attained this concept when he became Nation of Islam’s most effective spokesman and minister, “espousing Islamic principles and the words of Elijah Muhammad” (Lee). Furthermore, his experiences in NOI lead him to become a fiery orator urging blacks to live separately from whites (Mis 12). When Malcolm X broke relations with the Nation of Islam by March of 1964, he attempted to carry many of the concepts he had learned into his new venture. Soon afterward, he return...
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... impact on the minds of the black masses and ultimately gave rise to the most influential and revolutionary groups in America (Meier, and Rudwick 23). Malcolm X was a true uncompromising revolutionist whose love for his people empowered him to advocate equality for all human beings.
Works Cited
Clarke, John Henrik, A. Peter. Bailey, and Earl Grant. Malcolm X; the Man and His Times. [New York]: Macmillan, 1969. Print.
Meier, August, and Elliott M. Rudwick. Black Protest in the Sixties,. Chicago: Quadrangle, 1970. Print.
"Malcolm X Biography - Life, Family, Children, Name, Death, History, School, Mother, Young." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Web. 01 June 2011. .
Mis, Melody S. Meet Malcom X. New York: PowerKids, 2008. Print.
Malcolm X. Spike Lee. Warner Home Video, 2005. Film.
If there was any one man who demonstrated the anger, the struggle, and the beliefs of African Americans in the 1960s, that man was Malcolm X. The African American cultural movement of the 1920s lost momentum in the 1930s because of worldwide economic depression. The Great Depression helped to divert attention from cultural to economic matters. Even before the stock market crash of 1929, unemployment and poverty among blacks was exceptionally high. It was under these difficult conditions that Malcolm X experienced his youth in the South. Malcolm X was a very controversial character in his time. He grew up in a very large family. His father hunted rabbits to sell to the white people for money, and his mother stayed home to take care of all the children. Several times when he was young, his family was forced to relocate due to the racist groups that would burn or run them out of their home like the Ku Klux Klan. One of these groups called the Black Legion killed his father by tying him to the railroad tracks. Malcolm’s father had life insurance but was not given to his family because they said that Earl Little had committed suicide. This was quite impossible because his head was bashed in and he tied himself to the railroad. Without his father’s income, Malcolm's family was forced to get government help and food. Applying for this type of assistance brought many white Social Workers into their home. They asked questions and interrogated the entire family. Malcolm’s mother always refused to talk or let them in.
There were many contributors that made the Black movement so successful, especially the most effective, Martin Luther King Jr. as in contrast to Malcolm X. Both made such a grave and huge impact but with very different strategies to go about it. Martin Luther King Jr. using a peaceful protest approach, meanwhile Malcolm X preferred a violent, political protest. Although both men were striving for a better life for his fellow African American their different approaches to the initial subject had a varied effect which ended up winning one of them a nobel peace prize. Malcolm had his fair share of trying to help, he only made things worse for himself and the things he was trying to strive for. Having become a very influential person and to give
Malcolm X should be everyone’s hero, someone people like myself should look up to as a human being. Anyone who thinks otherwise is either a racist or is extremely ignorant. Malcolm X wore his heart on his sleeve and whether right or wrong he was never afraid to say what was on his mind to anyone who cared to listen. I personally believe Malcolm X’s beliefs give me strength to do what's right and carry myself with dignity. I remember, as a kid, my parents had tons of books about Black History books. The first book I read was a Malcolm X biography. I realized Malcolm X was truly a powerful, significant, and essential work for all time.
Malcolm set everything in motion when he converted to the Nation of Islam, an African American movement that combined elements of Islam with Black Nationalism. While in prison, his siblings persuaded him to write to the Nation’s leader, Elijah Muhammad. X was uneasy at first, but came around shortly. Malcolm wrote Muhammad a one-page letter each day in curiosity about the Nation of Islam. Muhammad replied as the “Messenger of Allah” welcoming Malcolm into the “true knowledge” (Haley 195). Before X’s release in nineteen fifty-two, he went under an intense self-educated program by reading books in the prison library, and even memorizing an entire dictionary. He also sharpened his forensic skills by participating in debate classes. When Malcolm was released from prison he had his first official visit with Muhammad in Chicago, he devoted his life to the Muslim ministry. Soon Malcolm began traveling and preaching with other ministers. He picked up their techniques and devoured their knowledge. Malcolm quickly rose in the Nation of Islam ranks becoming minister of Temple number eleven in Boston and Muhammad’s most effective recruiter and spokesman. Soon after, X was rewarded minister of Temple number seven in Harlem, New York, the largest and most prestigious after the Chicago Headquarters and eventually named the National Representative of the Nation of Islam, second in rank behind Muhammad himself. Under X’s lieutenancy the nation claimed a membership of five-hundred thousand, as the numbers grew X’s teachings began to change; he wanted to make a vast difference. He spread the glorious history of African Americans. He urged the Nation to become more active in the civil rights protest instead of being a critic on the side. X articulated the Nation’s racial doctrines of evil
X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Ballantine, 1999. Print.
This paper will discuss the different stages of thought processes the former Nation of Islam minister, Malcolm X went through during his lifetime in terms of how he viewed white people, but more specifically “the white man” in America. The reason the focus is on White Americans is because these were the people outside of the Nation of Islam that shaped his life good or bad and put him on the path where he eventually transformed from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X who was one of the most polarizing and controversial figures during his lifetime and even nearly 50 years after his death the name Malcolm X causes certain people to shudder. Malcolm X became a well-known figure during the 50’s and 60’s during the civil rights movement which involved figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. This was a pivotal era in American history because for the first time that there was major push towards full rights for African Americans. When Malcolm X came on the scene he put fear into White people because they weren’t used to hearing the truth about race relations in America and many of them felt that things were just fine because they themselves were living life high on the hog while at the same time exploiting Blacks. Because this type of talk from a black person was new to them they misinterpreted his views as “hate speech” and accused him of trying to incite violence when he was simply trying wake his people up to properly deal with what was happening to them.
...uraged freedom of thought, speech, and choice. He was more than just a hero for the African-American community of that time; he was a hero for all communities. Malcolm X was not just a hero for the civil rights movement; he was a hero for the human rights movement. He was not just a hero for the communities of that time; he was a hero for communities of the future and times to come.
Autobiography of Malcolm X takes place during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, and illustrates the life of an African American man spent majority of his life fighting for equal rights. Throughout the book, Malcolm X expresses his negative perspective toward white supremacy and actively speaks on behalf of his people for equality. One of the most life changing event in his life was when he converted to Islam. Religion played an important role in his awakening because it removed the blindness from his eyes and showed him that white people were the reason African Americans are suffering on a day to day basis. This essay investigates how Malcolm X’s autobiography puts into perspective how race is extremely complex race that no one can truly
Malcolm was born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska to Louise and Earl Little. His Father, Earl, was a Baptist minister and an active member of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (founded by Marcus Garvey). Due to his involvement in civil rights, Malcolm and his family were harassed and experienced racism from an early age, and Malcolm’s encounter before he was even born. In his own words, Malcolm said: “ When my mother was pregnant with me, she told me later, ‘ a party of hooded Ku Klux Klan riders galloped to our home, brandishing their guns and rifles, they shouted for my father to come out’.”
Malcolm X has truly captured the hearts of many. From his empowering personality to his amazing life story, he is a figure history can never forget. His autobiography is a full and honest account of his life, his struggle against racism, mistakes, regrets, choices good and bad, as well as discove...
African Americans are fortunate to have leaders who fought for a difference in Black America. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X are two powerful men in particular who brought hope to blacks in the United States. Both preached the same message about Blacks having power and strength in the midst of all the hatred that surrounded them. Even though they shared the same dream of equality for their people, the tactics they implied to make these dreams a reality were very different. The background, environment and philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were largely responsible for the distinctly varying responses to American racism.
Until the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his life’s work was dedicated to the nonviolent actions of blacks to gain the freedoms they were promised in the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 by Abraham Lincoln. He believed that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King, 1963). These injustices had become so burdensome to blacks that they were “plunged into an abyss of despair” (King, 1963). The nonviolent actions of the sit-ins, boycotts, and marches were so the “individual could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths…to help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism” and ultimately lead to “inevitably opening the door to negotiation” (King, 1963). Not only was King’s approach effective with the older black generation, it was also successful with white people. They did not feel threatened when approached by King. White people gained a sense of empathy towards the plight of black freedom as King’s promise of nonviolence did not threaten their livelihood. Malcolm X viewed the world similarly to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., however; his beliefs to changing the status quo were slightly different from his political counterpart. Malcolm X realized that “anger could blind human vision” (X, 1965). In realizing this, X knew that in order to achieve racial freedom blacks had to “forget hypocritical politics and propaganda” (X, 1965). While Malcolm X was more so an advocate for violent forces against white people than King, X merely used force when it became necessary for defense. According to X, “I don’t go for non-violence if it also means a delayed solution. I am for violence if non-violence means we continue postponing a solution to American black man’s problem” (X, 1965). However, this le...
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...
The 20th century was a definitive time period for the Black civil rights movement. An era where the status quo was blatant hatred and oppression of African Americans, a time when a black son would watch his father suffer the indignity of being called a “boy” by a young white kid and say nothing in reply but “yes sir”. Where a Black person can be whipped or lynched for anything as little as not getting off the sidewalk when approaching a white person, for looking into their eyes, or worse, “for committing the unpardonable crime of attempting to vote.” In the midst of the racial crises and fight for social equality were Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. who despite their difference in philosophies were “icons of social justice movement both in the United States and around the world” .
The autobiography of Malcolm X is a book that will enlighten the reader into some of the hardships and discrimination the Afro-American has had to endure in America. Many people consider Malcolm X to be a radical leader, encouraging violence as a tool to fight discrimination. What this book does, for me and for many others, is open the world that Malcolm was faced and clarifies many of the controversial actions of Malcolm, such as preaching hate towards whites. The autobiography of Malcolm X is a book that helps the reader to understand some of the discrimination that Afro-Americans are faced with, all-the-while, explaining and giving reasoning to the deliberations that Malcolm X dealt and the impact that he has left on millions of people