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Malcolm X

Essay by   •  February 17, 2012  •  Essay  •  757 Words (4 Pages)  •  1,631 Views

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Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska. His father, Earl, a Baptist minister and follower of the Black Nationalist Marcus Garvey, was under continuous threat by the Ku Klux Klan.Malcolm's mother, Louise Little, was born in the west Indies

During Malcolm's early years his family moved several times because they were threatened by Ku Klux Klansmen in Omaha; their home was burned in Michigan; and when Malcolm was 6 years old, his father Earl Little, was murdered. Although Malcolm's father was very likely murdered by white supremacists, from whom he had received frequent death threats, the police officially ruled his death a suicide, thereby avoiding the large life insurance policy he had purchased in order to provide for his family after his death.

For a time his mother and her eight children lived on public welfare. When his mother became mentally ill and not beeing able to recover from her husband's death , Louise was committed to a mental institution. Malcolm and his seven siblings thus were split up amongst various foster homes and orphanages.

Malcolm X attended West Junior High School, where he was the school's only black student.Malcolm was a smart, focused student. He graduated from junior high at the top of his class. However, when a favorite teacher told Malcolm his dream of becoming a lawyer was "no realistic goal for a nigger," Malcolm lost interest and dropped out of school at the age of 15.

Malcolm thereafter went to Boston to live with his sister Ella , and turned to crime.At this point by 1942 he began a criminal life that included gambling, selling drugs, robbery, and hustling. He was arrested in 1946 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. ( He was released after serving seven years in prison)

. While in prison, though, he began a period of education and self-transformation. He joined The Nation of Islam, a black supremacist group headed by Elijah Muhammad.

Muhammad taught that white society actively worked to keep African-Americans from empowering themselves and achieving political, economic and social success. Among other goals, the Nation of islam (NOI) fought for a state of their own, separate from one inhabited by white people. He took "X" as his last name, indicating his unknown African tribal name that had been lost when his family was given the slave name "Little."

After his parole in 1952, Malcolm X became a significant leader, a brilliant and charismatic speaker, building the Nation of Islam from 400 to 30,000 members. Malcolm's faith was dealt a crushing blow at the height of the civil rights movement in 1963. He learned that his mentor and leader, Elijah Muhammad, was secretly having relations with as many as six women within the Nation of Islam organization. Malcolm also found out that some of these relationships had resulted in children. Since joining the NOI, Malcolm

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