Malcolm X
The Struggle for Human Rights
From Criminal to Preacher
Malcolm grew up in a life of crime. He ran a robbery scheme for which he was charged with larceny and breaking and entering. Malcolm, when sent to the Norfolk prison colony in Massachusetts, became an avid reader because it contained an extensive library.
"Months passed without my even thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I had never been so truly free in my life."[14]
-The Autobiogrpahy of Malcolm X
Malcolm at 18 having his mug shot taken after he stole a fur coat.[1]
This is Maclolm's rap sheet containing all of the crimes he has committed. The last of his sentences reulted in Malcolm serving time but also led him to discover Islam.[15]
"Malcolm, don't eat any more pork, and don't smoke any more cigarettes. I'll show you how to get out of prison."[16]
-Reginald in a letter to Malcolm
In 1948, while in jail, Malcolm began receiving letters from his brothers. They instructed him to follow the ways of Elijah Muhammad, an Islamic preacher who ran the Nation of Islam. Malcolm eventually found the courage to stop these volatile habits and got in touch with Elijah once out of jail in 1952. He also changed his last name to “X” because it symbolized the unknown African surname.
The Nation of Islam
-Malcolm X talking about his name
[1]
The Nation of Islam is a group of Muslims, led by Elijah Muhammad, advocating the end of the white man by whatever means. In an article from 1959, Time Magazine said:
" An ascetic little man, Elijah sternly demands that his followers give up tobacco, dope and alcohol, bathe often, pray toward Mecca five times a day, even if it means falling upon their knees in the streets." [17]
-“The Black Supremacists,” Time Magazine
For several years, Malcolm worked for the NOI and established many temples in America. Being a Harlemite, he was put in charge of NOI Temple Number Seven in Harlem. Malcolm regarded Elijah very highly.
"I was totally unprepared for the Messenger Elijah Muhammad's physical impact upon my emotions ... I stared at the great man who had taken the time to write to me when I was a convict."[18]
-The Autobiography of Malcolm X
-An interview with Elijah Muhammad
[20]
The Hate That Hate Produced
The Hate That Hate Produced was aired in July 1959, on PBS. It raised awareness of the NOI and although Elijah Muhammad was featured in it, Malcolm stole the spotlight and was seen as the figurehead of the NOI. Many historians see the documentary as what made Malcolm famous.
"Between 1958 and his 1964 break with the NOI, Malcolm X became the alter ego of the Civil Rights Movement."[19]
-William W. Sales, From Civil Rights to Black Liberation