Who Was Malcolm X?

Malcolm X was a Minister, a Black nationalist, and a civil rights activist. He was a proud member and spokesman for the Nation of Islam, and his philosophy and religious beliefs were certainly intertwined. He was one of the most significant figures in the black nationalist movement. Known for his powerful and influential speeches like “The Ballot of the Bullet”, “Message to the Grassroots”, and “By any means necessary”. Malcolm X urged black Americans to take their power and fight against systemic racism in the United States. He rejected the idea of non-violence and believed Black people had the right to defend themselves “by any means necessary” if attacked. 

This was in contrast to another influential civil rights leader Martin Luther king. Their contrast in beliefs and plans of action is something that is still important to this day. Malcolm X urged Black Americans to take pride in their heritage and control their own communities economically, socially and politically. He believed in complete solidarity and separation from white institutes. Throughout the years Malcolms philosophy changed to a more inclusive vision of racial unity but without a doubt he was an influential and necessary leader of the 1960s civil rights movement.

Upbringing

Malcolm Little was born May 19, 1925 In Omaha, Nebraska. He was the 4th born out of 8 children and child of Earl and Louise little. His parents were followers of the Pan- African activist Marcus Garvey. Growing up in Nebraska and with his father being a known civil rights activist, they were under constant harassment by the Ku Klux Klan.

 In 1929, their home in Michigan was set on fire by a racist mob, Malcolm was only 4 years old. With a turbulent upbringing and many encounters with racist mobs, Earl Little was mysteriously found dead on the municipal street tracks only 2 years after the fire. Authorities ruled this an accident, but the family believed he was murdered by white supremacists. 

The death of Malcolm's father greatly affected his mother, later causing her to not be stable enough to care for her children, in 1937 she was committed to a mental institution where she remained for the next 26 years. Malcolm had a hard upbring and with his mother being unable to take care of him and his siblings they were placed in foster homes.

Education

Malcolm X did not complete school in the normal way. He left after the 8th grade, when a teacher told him that it wasn’t realistic for a black student to aspire to be a lawyer. This hurt him on a deep level and led him to quit school. But later, in the 1940s when he was in prison, turned his life around through reading. He loved reading all about history, religion, politics and anything else and even taught himself to enhance his reading and writing by copying words and definitions out of the dictionary. Malcolm referred to prison as his “real education.” Despite never having attended college, he was one of the smartest and most powerful speakers of his day, widely recognized for his powerful ideas and philosophy. 

His Religious Beliefs

Malcolm X’s religion would change overtime, but it had been forming since a child. Growing up his family were for black nationalism which would later influence his ideologies and what he stood for. It was in prison where he was able to dive into his spirituality. He was able to read all types of ideas. This combined with his life experiences attracted him to the Nation of Islam. While he was in prison he met brother Reginald, who was a member of the nation of Islam. He quit smoking, gambling and stopped eating pork. Along with these changes he dedicated his time to educating himself on the nation of islam. Following nation tradition, he replaced his surname “little” to “X”. This was a custom among Nation of Islam followers who considered their family names to have originated with white slaveholders. His true influence started after he was released from prison in 1952. 

He met Elijah Muhammed in Chicago of 1952. Malcolm X began organizing temples for the Nation in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. In 1960 he founded the newspaper “Muhammed Speaks” where he spoke about black nationalism and was able to express his ideas. Naturally after his extensive effort and hard work he became the minister of Boston Temple No 11, which he founded. He was then rewarded with the post of minister of Temple No. 7 In Harlem. Which was known as the largest and most prestigious temple in the Nation after the Chicago headquarters. 

Elijah Muhammed then named him the National Representative of the Nation of Islam, the second in rank next to Muhammed. But in 1963, two years before his death, tension was brewing between him and Elijah over the political direction of the Nation. Along with that Elijah Muhammed had fathered children by six of his personal secretaries to add salt to the wound, at this time Malcolm publicly commented on the assassination of JFK where he said, “chickens coming home to roost”. Elijah enraged, ordered Malcolm X a 90-day period of silence, resulting in a permanent parting. In March of 1964 Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam. In the following month he founded Muslim Mosque Inc. and converted to Sunni Islam.

What He Fought For

Malcolm X radical philosophy shifted as he grew deeply impacted by life experiences, religion and engagement with the struggles of Black people in America as well as globally. Malcolm X's early philosophy (1952- 1964) advocated for the complete independence of black Americans from white society. He believed in being separate from white society not integrated like many other civil right leaders were fighting for. He opposed the civil rights movement's goal of racial integration, at least in the beginning. Another core belief of Malcolms philosophy was racial pride and identity. He believed the way to take their power back was to have deep pride and appreciation for their roots. He preached that Instead of adopting white cultures standards of beauty and success to embrace their African heritage. Malcolm full heartedly renounced “white America” as part of who he was. Like he proclaimed in a speech on March 29 1964 “We didn't land on Plymouth rock; the rock was landed on us”. He was famously known for calling the U.S government “criminal” for his treatment of black people. (“racial separation” Berkley 1963)  

He deeply believed white society was inherently racist and oppressive and did not want to integrate. But one thing Malcolm did believe in was equality. The belief that black Americans have the same right to self-defense as white Americans do. In his famous speech “The Ballot of the Bullet” we get a detailed idea of what he meant by that. "If you have a dog, I must have a dog. If you have a rifle, I must have a rifle. If you have a club, I must have a club. This is equality.". His beliefs of self defense is what Malcolm X is mostly known for. His early ideas are what Malcolm X is remembered for but as he grew, his philosophy changed too. 

After he left the Nation of Islam in 1964 and made his pilgrimage to Mecca, Malcolm's worldview broadened. Malcolm shifted his philosophy towards human rights and began seeing the black struggles as global human rights issues, not just a civil rights problem in the United States. he started recognizing the struggles between black Americans and colonized people in Africa and all over the world. He shifted to a solidarity among oppressed people worldwide, not just for people in America. Malcolm then had converted to Sunni Islam and his experiences in Mecca made him believe that racial harmony and brotherhood was possible. He shifted his beliefs in believing that all white people were evil to advocating for alliances across all races. Things were not as simple as that, Malcolms philosophy and character was complex and changed overtime but to his core he always believed in In black pride and unapologetic truth-telling about racism.

Famous Speeches

“The Ballot or The Bullet”

April 3, 1964- Cleveland, Ohio 

In “The Ballot or the Bullet,” Malcolm X delivers a powerful message urging Black Americans to take control of their destiny through solidarity, self-determination and political strategy. He continued to urge the Black community to use their vote as a weapon for real change but warned that if the government refused to recognize their rights, they would be entirely justified in standing up and fighting back. This is not just about politics, he emphasizes it’s about freedom and survival. Malcolm is asking Black people of all classes to unify, be proud of their identity, and build power within their own communities. He doesn’t incite violence, but he does believe that people have a right to self-defense when under attack.

“Message To the Grassroots”

November 10, 1963- Detroit, Michigan

In “Message to the Grassroots,” Malcolm X speaks to ordinary Black people about the importance of uniting to struggle for real freedom. He notes that many leaders of the civil rights movement want to integrate with white politicians and advocate for change that won’t really benefit most Black people. He compares two kinds of Black people during slavery, the “house Negro,” who stayed close to the slave master and didn’t want change, and the “field Negro,” who had it much worse and was ready to fight back. Malcolm talks about real change and not begging for rights, but taking power, and that real revolutions aren’t always peaceful. Malcolm warns against trusting leaders who just want to keep the peace and tells the community they’ll have to take power into their own hands.

“By Any Means Necessary”

June 28, 1964- Harlem, New York

Malcolm X’s “By Any Means Necessary” speaks to Black folks standing up for their rights and freedom in whatever way they have to. Voting and marching are good peaceful acts, he says, but when they don’t result in change, people should have a right to do more. Black communities should rely on self by owning businesses, securing their communities and by not waiting for the government to assist them. The memorable line “by any means necessary” means doing whatever is necessary to secure justice, whether it's peaceful or not. Malcolms message is clear: Black people should have the power to control their own lives and fight for their freedom with strength and resilience. 

Assassination

On the afternoon of February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was brutally assassinated while speaking at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood. It was just after 3 p.m. when three gunmen, all members of the Nation of Islam, opened fire as he stood on stage. Among the 400 people in attendance were his pregnant wife, Betty Shabazz, and their four young daughters, seated in the front row.

 One of the attackers, Mujahid Abdul Halim (also known as Thomas Hagan), was shot by a security guard and then beaten by the crowd before being taken into custody at the scene. The other two gunmen. Muhammad A. Aziz (formerly Norman 3X Butler) and Khalil Islam (formerly Thomas 15X Johnson) fled but were arrested five days later. All three were charged with first-degree murder. 

Malcolm X was just 39 years old when he was assassinated. He was laid to rest at Unity Funeral Home in Harlem, and on February 27, more than 1,500 people gathered to honor his life and legacy at his funeral service.