Malcolm Little was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1925. His father was a Baptist minister and a political activist who supported Marcus Garvey. His father was killed "accidentally" but the Little family was sure that the Black Legion was behind their father's death. A few years later, Malcolm's mother had an emotional breakdown and was admitted to a mental institution. The eight Little children were split up into different foster homes.
Malcolm was a very good student. Despite this, he dropped out of school and moved to Boston when one of his teachers told him his goal of a lawyer was not realistic. He then moved to Harlem where he became a narcotics dealer, a hustler, and a burglar. He was arrested for burglary and weapons possession charges and was sentenced to ten years in prison. He used this time to continue to educate himself. While Little was in jail, his siblings introduced him to the Nation of Islam (NOI) which was lead by Elijah Muhammad. Due to the NOI and his studies, he had an intellectual and spiritual epiphany. When he was released from prison on parol after serving seven years, he was a follower of the NOI. He thought “Little” was a slave name, so he chose “X” as his surname to signify his lost tribal name.
Malcolm was appointed to be a minister and a spokesman for the NOI. He helped increase the number of people in the NOI drastically. Malcolm began to overshadow Elijah Muhammad’s fame. The FBI began to monitor the NOI because they were getting so large that they began to attract government attention. Malcolm then finds out that Elijah had been having several relationships with a number of different women inside the NOI and some had resulted in children out of wedlock. This crushed Malcolm’s faith in Elijah because it went against what the NOI, Elijah, and Malcolm had been preaching to everyone. Elijah asked Malcolm to help him cover up the scandal, but Malcolm said he could not do that. He then broke away from the NOI and started the Muslim Mosque, Inc. Also he formed the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) which was more of a secularly oriented group.
Malcolm then converted to traditional Islam. In traditional Islam, you must complete a spiritual hajj to Mecca. He did this in April of 1964 and returned with a new name. It was El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. He also returned with a new outlook on integration of all races. He could now speak to everyone and not just the African-American race. He developed a new political strategy for building black community empowerment. This would be done through voter education, independent politics, and economic self-sufficiency. He turned the civil rights movement into a struggle for international human rights and not just a struggle for African-American rights. He began to also criticize U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
Because Malcolm had left the NOI like he did, relationships between Malcolm and the NOI were very hostile. FBI agents who worked undercover inside the NOI began to warn officials that Malcolm had been targeted for assassination. Malcolm no longer could travel without body guards at all times. On February 14, 1965 Malcolm’s home was firebombed in East Elmhurst, New York. The entire family escaped without physical injury. However, only one week later Malcolm was rushed by three gunmen while on stage at a speaking engagement in the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan on February 21, 1965. He was shot 15 times and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. 1,500 people attended Malcolm’s funeral. At the Faith Temple Church of God in Christ. At the service, Malcolm’s friends took the shovels and proceeded to bury Malcolm themselves.
The religious and political affects of Malcolm’s assassination were hardly noticed immediately. The New York Times said that he was a twisted man who had used his gifts to aid evil. Time magazine said that Malcolm preached a gospel of hatred. The president of Ghana saw him for who he truly was though and exactly what Malcolm was trying to do for his country. He sent a telegram saying basically that he dedicated his life for the betterment of the African-American race and that his work would not be in vein. Malcolm X has become the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and movies. He is seen as a key figure in the civil rights movement.
Malcolm X was a person of extreme faith. At first he had put all of his faith in his parents, but when they were killed, he put his faith in education. After his education was shot down, he put his faith into illegal things, which was not the best choice but it goes to show you that he was human and that we all make mistakes. When he was put in jail, he puts all of his faith into Elijah Muhammad and the NOI who eventually let him down and destroy his faith temporarily. Malcolm then puts his faith into the people of the world and into Islam. He becomes dedicated to it completely. He was willing to stand up in the face of adversity and preach a message to people who did not necessarily want to hear it. He was killed for what he believed in. That is true faith. The fact that his faith was broken time and time again, yet when he puts his faith into something, he is willing to go to jail for it, deny covering up a scandal, and even dying for what he believes in.
