Notes

Samantha Zambrano
Mr. Heath
History, Period 3
April 1st, 2018
Malcolm X
Malcolm Little was born on May 19th, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. Malcolm was the son of a Baptist preacher, Earl Little, who followed Marcus Garvey. Malcolm’s father had received threats from the Ku Klux Klan thus causing Malcolm’s family to move to Lansing, Michigan. Malcolm’s father still received threats but he continued to urge African-Americans to take control of their lives. Malcolm’s father was later killed by the Klan-like Black Legionaries. It was claimed that his death was a suicide. Welfare caseworkers tried to turn Malcolm and his siblings against each other and their mother. Malcolm, then 6, was taken away and placed in a foster home. Malcolm’s mother, Louise Little, underwent a nervous breakdown. She would never recover from this breakdown.

Malcolm dropped out of school after the eighth grade to pursuit a life of crime. At twenty-one Malcolm was sentenced to prison for burglary. There he encountered the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Lost-Found Nation of Islam, mostly known as the Black Muslims. Muhammad’s belief that the white man is the devil with whom blacks cannot live had a big impact on Malcolm. This caused Malcolm to turn to an austere way of life. It also caused Malcolm to become a loyal disciple of the Lost-Found Nation of Islam. He adopted X-symbolic of identity-as his last name. Thus officially changing his name to ‘Malcolm X.’
Malcolm was released after serving 6 years in prison. He later became the minister of Temple No. 7 in Harlem. Malcolm’s beliefs on racism and his support for self-defense caused him to have a strong following that spread. Many contrasted Malcolm with Martin Luther King Jr., whose philosophy was less violent than Malcolm. The Nation of Islam failed to join the civil rights struggle. This caused Malcolm to grow restive and he became convinced that Muhammad was lacking. Muhammad felt threatened by the popularity of Malcolm, whose influence became very strong and even reached into the respected Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.

Malcolm was suspended from the Black Muslims in December 1963. He left the organization a few months later. Malcolm traveled to Mecca, there he discovered that orthodox Muslims preach equality of races, which caused him to abandoned the belief that whites are devils. Malcolm returned to America as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, Malcolm remained convinced that racism had corroded the spirit of America. He believed that blacks could only free themselves. He founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity in June of 1964. He moved increasingly in the direction of socialism. Malcolm had become more sophisticated than he was in his Black Muslim days.

Malcolm was assassinated by a Black Muslim at a rally of his organization in New York on February 21st, 1965. He was just 39 years old. Before he was killed, Malcolm had predicted the he had little time to live. Malcolm would become more important in death than in life. The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was largely influenced by Malcolm. In the summer of 1966, members of the SNCC called for black power for black people.


Malcolm X will always be remembered for being a courageous advocate for the rights of blacks. He is one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history. Malcolm has been credited for raising the self-esteem of black Americans and reconnecting them with their heritage. He is mostly responsible for the spread of Islam in the Black community. Malcolm X will forever be remembered for his stance on racial discrimination, he will be remembered for everything he did to fight for the rights of African Americans.