Malcolm X

"There can be no black-white unity until there is first some black unity." (Malcolm X, March 8, 1964) Malcolm X was probably one of the most controversial elements in the civil rights movement. Due to his radical views and actions he was detested by many peoples at that time, yet still today he is seen as a key figure along with Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Malcolm X had become a member of the Nation of Islam in his earlier years. The Islamic faith borrows basic ideas from the orthodox teachings of Islam and combines them with the very racist views regarding whites taught by Elijah Mohammed. Malcolm was a very influential priest for the Nation of Islam. After questioning some of the views and beliefs of the Nation of Islam, Malcolm angered many of its followers. This forced Malcolm to travel on a journey overseas to Arabia to find out what his true beliefs were. When he reached Arabia, he found that it was a different society than that of which Elijah Mohammed had described it. Malcolm discovered that race played no role in determining a person's status in society. Viewing this made a positive change in Malcolm X's beliefs and views. This unity of human kind made Malcolm think and change his ideas about the solution to the racial problem in America. This was the most influential turning point in his life.

Malcolm first adopted his views and beliefs of the Nation of Islam while he was serving time in prison. By the time he had gotten out of prison, he had undergone a transformation from a drug-dealing thief to a religious priest of the Nation of Islam. Mohammed's racist teachings were taken in by Malcolm. It was through these teachings that Malcolm X developed his radical views about race in America.

Under the guidance and teachings of Elijah Mohammed, Malcolm had targeted all whites and blamed them for position of African Americans in society. He referred to the whites as devils, which tried making the standards of blacks even lower then they already were. Malcolm X believed that complete segregation was the only way to end racial problems in America. He also said that all actions committed against blacks in history were due to the white race as a whole. Another one of his claims was that all blacks should move to Africa, and establish some sort of society there.

Sometime after Malcolm X had taken on his new religion, he began to question the validity of the Nation of Islam and some of its leaders. It was found out that Elijah Mohammed had been partaking in sexual misconduct and that he had several illegitimate children. When Malcolm confronted Elijah about these things, Elijah admitted to them. This made Malcolm question the beliefs of Elijah, which were basically the foundations of the Nation of Islam. During this time, many of the leaders of the Nation of Islam became jealous of Malcolm's success. All of these things contributed to Malcolm eventually leaving the Nation of Islam in 1964.

Later in 1964, Malcolm X took off on a journey to Arabia to try and find the true religion of Islam. While in Arabia, he underwent his holy pilgrimage. This experience had a very positive impact on Malcolm X. While racial hatred in America had forced black people to the lowest levels of society, Malcolm had come into a society where race didn't determine a persons role. While in Arabia, a white leader let Malcolm stay with him in his room, which would have been unheard of during the civil rights movements in the States. It was during this trip to Arabia that Malcolm made a big change in his way of life. He finally learned to trust people. He found out that the color of one's skin doesn't reflect what kind of person you are, but it's ones actions that reflect the quality of a person.

From his trip, Malcolm threw out all of his racist and segregational views about the American society, and he took on a more orthodox Islamic approach of racial equality. Once he returned home from his trip, he began preaching about his newly formed philosophies. He created new ideas about race in America and about unity. His greatest changes in beliefs were his thoughts about black and white relationships. His conversion to orthodox Islam changed his views upon white people.

Around this time, Malcolm adopted a new name. He changed the Nation of Islam "X" in his name to a more conventional name. Malcolm X was no more; his new name was Malik El-Shabazz. Malcolm changing his name was probably