Life Of Malcolmx

Qudsia Osmani

"Don't let people put labels on you-and don't put them on yourself. Sometimes a label can kill you." (qtd.Malcolm X) These words were spoken by Malcolm X, who fought for Civil Rights for African Americans. The irony of it all was that his very own quote was proven by how he himself was assassinated. Malcolm X himself predicted his own death because he knew his beliefs were controversial, but what was so different in his life? How was his thoughts and beliefs so different that it brought him death?

Malcolm Little was born on May 19,1925 in Omaha, Nebraska, growing up listening to his father Earl Little who was a Baptist preacher from Georgia, and the President of the local chapter of the Universal Negro Improvement Association. An organization that urged black people to improve themselves. He often reminded his children about having pride in being black. Malcolm's mother Louise Little was very educated and taught her children how to read and write. Later on in the years the family moved to Lancing, Michigan. In Michigan is WHERE Malcolm's father died, rumor was that he was killed by the Black Legion, a local white supremacist group. After many years Malcolm's mother was declared insane and Malcolm was put in several different foster homes. Malcolm X was a very smart child and loved school. One day he told one of his favorite teacherS that he wanted to be a lawyer. Crushing Malcolm's dreams the teacher told him "That's no realistic goal for a nigger."(Alex Haley). Malcolm felt crushed he changed his mind and decided to move to Boston. Later on in the years he moved to New York and their the became a hustler and got arrested for Larceny. Once Malcolm entered jail his life changed and so did his beliefs.

Malcolm X's earlier beliefs were developed in prison. While in prison he read and studied about Islam. He converted and his brother Reginald introduced him to the Nation of Islam. In prison Malcolm X wrote to the leader of the Nation of Islam Elijah Muhammad. After getting out of prison Malcolm X joined the Nation of Islam and began to speak out for African Americans. Malcolm and the Nation of Islam believed that blacks should be separated from whites and that no matter what they should fight for their freedom even if it meant violently. "You don't have a peaceful revolution." (Walter Dean Myers 15) His beliefs were very controversial, but he didn't care, he went on saying that white people were the devil. He believed in being segregated as did the Nation of Islam. The Nation of Islam taught Malcolm that he should hate whites and that anyone that wasn't BLACK was the enemy.

The Nation of Islam was the organization Malcolm X followed and believed. It was an organization of Black Muslim Movement. Many of the beliefs of the Nation of Islam were taught to Malcolm X. The son of Elijah Muhammad, W.Deen Muhammad changed the Islam himself to make it so it corresponded with the beliefs of the Nation of Islam so that he could bring the organization closer together. Many of the beliefs were that "Whites were created by an ancient evil scientist called Yakub. Only black people are considered human."(Wikipedia-Nation of Islam). The Nation of Islam also taught that Non-blacks were demons. Malcolm X followed all these beliefs and believed Islam really taught all of that he preached and gave many speeches about his own beliefs until Malcolm X made a pilgrimage to Mecca (Muslim Holy Land) that was when his beliefs were changed.

In Mecca Malcolm saw the unthinkable, something he thought was impossible. He saw people of all races united for one thing and that was for the purpose of God. "There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all color, from blue eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and the non-white." (Walter Dean Myers 32). People of all races embracing each other, and this changed Malcolm's beliefs of segregation, instead this made him believe that people of all races should be united. When he went to Mecca and witnessed the peace he decided to leave the Nation of Islam, and to even forget about the idea that blacks should live separate from