According to “Little, Malcolm (1925- 1965)” Student Resource Center Gold Malcolm Little was born on May 19th, 1925, in Omaha Nebraska to Earl and Louise Little. His father was a Baptist minister and his mother was a student nurse. Malcolm had six sisters and was the only boy in the family. Then “In 1929, members of the Black Legion, a white supremacist group, burned down the Little's home." Later, in 1931(“Malcolm X”, Carson Clayborne, World Book Student), the group murdered Malcolm’s father Earl. He was thrown under a Trolley and was killed. Malcolm’s mother was left to care for the seven children. This eventually drove his mother insane and she was put into a mental institution. All seven of the children, including Malcolm, were put into foster homes. Even through out the tough times, Malcolm was a very good student. He was even elected 7th grade class president. Malcolm really wanted to be a lawyer. Malcolm shared his dream with a teacher. The teacher told him to be “realistic” and should consider working with his hands instead. Malcolm was extremely disappointed and “went to live with his half-sister in Boston.” While in Boston, Malcolm earned a “formidable reputation as a hustler, pimp, and drug dealer.” He got a “conk”, which is getting your hair “treated with corrosive chemicals to straighten it.” Then in 1946, Malcolm was charged and arrested for burglary. He was sentenced to “10 years in prison.” While in prison, Malcolm earned even more names. He was nicknamed “Satan” because he would pace back and forth cursing out loud. Then “another convict, Bimbi, introduced him to the prisons extensive library and Malcolm began his education anew.” Malcolm discovered his siblings had become followers of Elijah Muhammad so he began to read and study his teachings. This was a change towards the better for Malcolm. He tried his best to make his daily letters to Muhammad worthy of the “Messenger of Allah.” In 1952, Malcolm was released from jail and began to follow Muhammad. “He took the name Malcolm ‘X’, to signify the loss of his true African name and reject the ‘slave name’ of Little.” Muhammad preached that “whites are devils” while the very popular “Black Muslims believed in the teachings of WD Fard, Muhammad’s teacher.” Then in 1953, “Malcolm was appointed assistant minister of Detroit’s Temple Number One of the Nation Islam.” Malcolm believed that if a black person saw the white person acting like the devil, they would gravitate to Muhammad’s teachings. Malcolm was very popular among the people and quickly gained higher positions. He earned the title of “Muhammad’s National Representative” and in 1954, became “the head of major mosque in Harlem.” Malcolm was a very animated and talented speaker. Peter Goldman said “Offstage and off- camera, he was a man of enormous charm, priestly in his bearing and his private life, warm and witty in company……….but given a platform and a microphone, he became a pitiless scold.” Malcolm cheered at anything that caused the whites pain. . When John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Malcolm called it “chickens coming home to roost>” This statement damaged his career greatly. Muhammad himself said “That was a very bad statement. The country loved this man.” Malcolm was told to make no public comments for 90 days, and did as he was told. After Malcolm made the comment about John F. Kennedy, Muhammad expelled Malcolm. The Leader of Nation of Islam and Malcolm had been fighting for a long time, and the incident pushed Muhammad over the edge. Shortly after, Malcolm found out Muhammad was not as good of a person as he once thought. Muhammad had many fancy cars, very nice clothes, and a huge estate. Malcolm also found out that Muhammad “had seduced several women and sired their children.” Clearly Malcolm lost faith in Muhammad. He no longer trusted his teachings. Malcolm X “canceled the original dedication to his autobiography in progress- he had written that Muhammad “found me here in the muck and mire of the filthiest civilization and society on this earth and made me the man I am today.” Malcolm felt as if the the Nation of Islam was not the right religion for him. He “proceeded to break officially with the Nation of Islam, and he made a pilgrimage to Mecca, taking the religious name El-Hakk Malki El- Shabazz.” In Mecca, Malcolm learned that no matter what religion or race people are, they are still human. According to “Malcolm X”, Biography Resource Center: African Americans, in 1958, Malcolm married Betty Dean Sanders. Together they had six children. Malcolm made a trip to Africa and “began work in uniting blacks across the world, and later he established the Organization of Afro- American Unity in the United States.” The Nation of Islam was not very happy about Malcolm leaving. They were very upset and Malcolm said “There’s a fear [that] if my image isn’t shattered, the Muslims in the movement will leave. “ On February 21st, 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated while giving a speech in the Audubn Ballroom in Harlem. Talmadge Thayer, Norman 3X Butler, and Thomas 15X Johnson were the assassinators.
Source Citation:
"Little, Malcolm (1925-1965)." Student Resource Center Gold. Gale, 2003. Web. 24 Feb. 2010.
"Malcolm X." Biography Resource Center: African Americans. Gale Research, 1998. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.
