Essay About Malcolm X And Malcolms Fourth Birthday

Malcolm X
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Malcolm X
Malcolm x was born May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. His mother, Louise
Norton Little was a homemaker. His father Earl Little was an outspoken Baptist minister
and ,supporter of Black Nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Earls civil rights activism
prompted death threats from the white supremacist organization Black Legion, forcing
the family to relocate twice before Malcolms fourth birthday. Regardless of the Littles
efforts to elude the Legion, in 1929 their Lansing, Michigan home was burned to the
ground. Two years later, Earl Little was found lying across the towns trolley tracks.
Police ruled both incidents as accidents, but the Littles were certain that members of the
Black Legion were responsible. Louise suffered emotional breakdown several years after
the death of her husband and was committed to a mental institution. Her children were
split up amongst various foster homes and orphanages.
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 in school. He dropped out spent
some time in Boston, Massachusetts working various odd jobs and then traveled to
Harlem, New York where he committed petty crimes. By 1942 Malcolm was
coordinating various narcotics, prostitution and gambling rings. Eventually Malcolm and
his buddy, Shorty, moved back to Boston. In 1946 they were arrested and convicted on
burglary charges, and Malcolm was sentenced to 10 years in prison. (He was paroled
after serving seven years.) Recalling his days in school, he used the time to further his
education. It was during this period of self-enlightenment that Malcolms brother
Reginald would visit and discuss his recent conversion to the Muslim religion. Reginald
belonged to the religious organization the Nation of Islam
Malcolm began to study the teachings of Nation of Islam leader 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 NOI fought for a state of their own, separate from one
inhabited by white people. By the time he was paroled in 1952, Malcolm was a devoted
follower with the new surname X. He considered Little a slave name and chose the X to
signify his lost tribal name.
Malcolm was appointed as a minister and national spokesman for the Nation of
Islam. Elijah Muhammad also charged him with establishing new mosques in cities such
as Detroit and Harlem. Malcolm utilized newspaper columns, as well as radio and
television to communicate the Nation of Islam message across the United States. His
charisma, drive and conviction attracted an astounding number of new members.
Malcolm was largely credited with increasing membership in the Nation of Islam from
500 in 1952 to 30,000 in 1963.
The crowds and controversy surrounding Malcolm made him a media magnet. He
was featured in a week-long television special with Mike Wallace in 1959, called