The black nationalist and civil rights activist Malcolm X was one of the most important figures of the twentieth century. Instead of advocating peaceful means of achieving equality(Malcolm X Biography), Malcolm X took a more militant stance in his battle for civil rights than many of his contemporaries.
Contents
Biography
Information about Malcolm X Date of birth: 19 May 1925 Born on this day in 1965 Place of birth: Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A. Height: 6 3 (1.92 m) Composer and Soundtrack Writer Betty Shabazz is her spouse. All four of Malikah Shabazz’s children were born in the same year. Mother and father’s names: Louise Norton (mother) and Earl (father)
Height, Weight
How tall is Malcolm X – 1,72m.
How much weight is Malcolm X – 70kg
As a Boy
Malcolm Little was born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska, and would go on to become Malcolm X. His father, a Baptist clergyman, was a vocal supporter of black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey (1887–1940). Those who advocate for one nation’s culture and interests above those of others are known as nationalists.
For African Americans, Garvey advocated a “back-to-Africa” movement in which they would return to Africa. Racism forced Malcolm’s family to relocate multiple times as a child (dislike and poor treatment of people based on their race). Following a threat from the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist organization, they relocated from Omaha, Nebraska.
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Their house was set on fire when they were living in an all-white community in Michigan. At the age of six, Malcolm’s father was assassinated in an unsolved crime. There was widespread belief throughout the black community that white people were responsible for the atrocity. Malcolm’s uncles were also killed by white folks.
After a decade of severe economic suffering, the United States entered the Great Depression in the 1930s. Malcolm’s family was struggling because of a lack of work. His mother and her eight children were formerly dependent on governmental assistance because of their large family.
Malcolm was placed in a foster family after his mother became mentally sick. For the better part of two decades, his mother was institutionalized. Malcolm resided in a variety of state facilities and boardinghouses while his siblings were split up among many homes.
Malcolm was taken to a juvenile prison facility at the age of thirteen after being charged with delinquency (doing something illegal) (a place where young people are held in custody). His education was cut short at fifteen when he decided to leave school.
An Illegal Life
Malcolm worked as a shoe shine boy, a busboy, and a waiter while living with his sister in Boston, Massachusetts. While in Boston, Malcolm began to frequent Roxbury’s black ghetto (an area in which the majority of the population is concentrated).
He was captivated by the vibrant street culture of the area. It wasn’t long before he started wearing showy apparel and taking part in illegal activities including gambling, drug dealing and burglary.
In 1942, Malcolm made his way to the Harlem section of New York City, where he continued to live a life of crime.
He swiftly ascended through the ranks of the underworld in New York City thanks to his ability to blend in with the locals. Malcolm’s red hair gave him the nickname Detroit Red. Malcolm returned to Boston when the police discovered his nefarious activities.
Reformed in Prison
Malcolm was twenty years old in 1946 when he was convicted of burglary and sentenced to ten years in jail. He began to change his life while in prison. He began to read historical, philosophical, and religious texts.
Malcolm’s brother Reginald visited him in jail and informed him of the Black Muslims. The Lost-Found Nation of Islam was the official name given to the Muslim sect known as the Black Muslims. Elijah Muhammad (1897–1975) was the group’s leader.
Malcolm devoted himself to the study and practice of Islam after encountering Muhammad’s teachings. According to these beliefs, white people are inherently bad and will face annihilation as a result of Allah’s will.
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Aside from that, black people were taught to keep themselves culturally, politically, physically, and psychologically separate from Western, white civilization. Smoking, drinking, and eating pork are also forbidden in Black Muslim doctrines. Additionally,
For the sake of developing the vocabulary that would help him become a passionate and effective public speaker, Malcolm began copying words from the dictionary while he was in prison.
Elijah Muhammad invited Malcolm to Chicago, Illinois, in 1952 after he was freed from jail. There, he was given the moniker Malcolm X and admitted into the cause.
Malcolm X thought the “X” stood for his “slave” name, which he believed he had lost permanently as a result of being nurtured in a predominantly white nation. At the Detroit Mosque, Malcolm X served as an assistant minister.
Upon his return to Chicago the next year, he spent time learning from Muhammad one-on-one before being assigned to build a mosque in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1954, he moved to Harlem to oversee a mosque.
The Message of Malcolm X
Malcolm X quickly rose to prominence as the most well-known national spokesperson for the Black Muslim community.
As the organization’s spokesperson, he wrote speeches, was a philosopher, and was a motivational speaker who was frequently cited by the media for his insights. The movement’s message was propagated because of his ability to debate with white and black opponents.
Racial integration was at an all-time high in the United States at this time, and many people were pushing for it. The Black Muslims, on the other hand, were advocating racial segregation.
As far as he was concerned, the achievements in civil rights in the United States were negligible at best. Criticism was leveled at the employment of peaceful techniques by African Americans in order to achieve integration. In the face of white aggression, Malcolm X advocated for self-defense.
Black people should abandon Christianity, Malcolm X argued. African-American neighborhoods are plagued by high crime rates because they are influenced by white civilization, he claimed.
Malcolm X, following the lead of Elijah Muhammad, advised blacks not to vote during this time period. The movement viewed these elections as a way to support the United States’ immoral political system, which they viewed as contrary to the majority of people’s beliefs.
Malcolm X met Betty Jean Sanders (1936–1997), a student nurse in New York City, in 1957. She joined the Black Muslims not long after that. After their 1958 wedding, she took the name, Betty Shabazz. Six daughters were born to the couple throughout the course of their marriage.
An International Focus
As Malcolm X traveled across Africa and Europe, he also undertook a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the holiest city in Islam.
With this new perspective and the knowledge gained through these journeys, he stated that he was no longer convinced that white people were inherently bad and that he had discovered the genuine essence of Islam. El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz became his new name.
He said he would take the black fight to an international audience by bringing the United Nations to bear on the United States’ treatment of the black population (UN). Through the Organization of Afro-American Unity, he sought help from numerous African countries.
His organizations were also open to collaboration with other black and white, progressive organizations in the United States, he said. Voter registration, black control of neighborhood public institutions including schools and the police, and other black political rights would be addressed by combining the efforts of these groups.
Meetings on the policies and programs of his new groups were held in Harlem by Malcolm X. Malcolm X was killed on February 21, 1965, as he was about to speak at a gathering.
He had a huge impact on the political and social thought of the African-American community, and the literature on him has only expanded after his death.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X, written by Alex Haley in 1965, was based on interviews Alex Haley had with Malcolm X before he died. It has been hailed as one of the most important works of African American literature.
Several institutions, including Malcolm X Community College in Chicago and Malcolm X Liberation University in North Carolina, are named after him.
Conclusion
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