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Malcolm X
(El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz)
Civil Rights Leader, Social Activist
Scott # 3273
Issued January 20, 1999 in New York,
NY
Designed by Richard Sheaff |
Malcolm Little was born in Omaha, Nebraska on
May 19, 1925 to Earl Little, a Baptist minister and Louis Norton Little.
Earl Little was an activist preacher who
promoted and supported the Back to Africa movement of Marcus
Garvey. He was murdered by white supremacists in 1931. After her husband was
killed, Louis suffered a nervous breakdown and was committed to a mental
institution. The welfare department placed her 8 children in various foster
homes and orphanages.
Although Malcolm was an exceptional student, he
became discouraged by the racial prejudice around him and dropped out after
the 8th grade. In 1941 Malcolm moved in with his half-sister Ella in Boston,
Massachusetts. It was in Boston, that Malcolm first encountered African
American Hip Culture.
Malcolm and his friend Shorty
Jarvis moved to Harlem, New York in 1941 where he became known as Detroit
Red. While living in Harlem, Malcolm became involved in drug dealing,
petty hustling, prostitution, robbery, and gambling. America had just entered
World War II and Malcolm avoided the draft stating that He was not going
to loose his life in some white man's war.
Malcolm returned to Boston in 1945 and was
arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison for armed robbery in 1946. While
in prison, he began to study the teachings of the Nation of Islam,
the Black Muslim group led by Elijah Muhammad. He became an avid reader of
literature, history, the Bible, and the Koran.
Malcolm became a powerful orator while in
prison and led a prison debating team that won a debate on Capital Punishment
against a team from MIT.
Malcolm was released from prison in 1952. He
changed his name to Malcolm X and quickly rose through the ranks of the Nation
of Islam (NOI), becoming the minister of Harlem's Temple Number
7 in 1954.
Malcolm married Betty Sanders (Shabazz) in
1958. During the mid-fifties, Malcolm began to disagree with some of the
policies of the NOI such as not participating in politics and Muhammad's
belief that all white people were devils. He also began to take more of
a world view on human rights, touring Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, and Sudan in
1959.
Malcolm's popularity continued to rise and
tension arose between Muhammad and Malcolm over the threat this posed to
Muhammad's leadership. Malcolm also became disillusioned by the discovery that
Elijah had fathered several children out of wedlock with some of his
secretaries.
In 1964 Malcolm found out that Elijah was
planning his assassination and left the NOI. He founded the Muslim Mosque,
Inc. and also made his first pilgrimage to Mecca. During this trip he wrote a
letter that expressed his faith as a follower of traditional Islam and
renounced the NOI teaching that all white men were evil. He became a follower
of the Sunni Muslim sect and adopted his religious name of El-Hajj Malik
El-Shabazz.
When Malcolm returned to the United States, he
founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity. The organization advocated
racial solidarity and attempted to unify all black groups fighting against
white racism. He told Blacks to vote and participate in the political system.
He also encouraged Blacks to work with each other and with Whites and
Hispanics to end racial discrimination.
On February 21, 1965 Malcolm X was assassinated
while addressing a rally in New York City. Two of the three men convicted of
killing him were connected with the Nation of Islam. Many people believe that
Elijah Muhammad ordered his assassination. His autobiography co-authored with
Alex Haley was published after his death.
Sources:
Encyclopedia
Britannica
Encyclopedia
Africana
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