The Nation of Islam
After Malcolm's was incarcerated in 1946 he met a fellow inmate named John Bembry. John was an older gentleman who recognized Malcolm's intellect. He encouraged Malcolm to read and educate himself. Bembry himself was self-educated. Malcolm later articulated that Bembry was "the first man I had ever seen command total respect... with words." Malcolm developed an unquenchable thirst for reading. 
One of Malcolm's famous quotes is "My Alma Mater was books, a good library... I could spend the rest of my life reading. just satisfying my curiosity."
Malcolm devoured book after book. Making up for all the years lost to public education after dropping out of school.
Another one of Malcolm'c famous quotes resonates from his love for books and self-learning. He stated "As I see it today, the ability to read awoke in me some long dormant craving to be mental alive."
Once exposed to reading, Malcolm devoured many books. He also communicated with several of his siblings through reading and writing. Most of his siblings had discovered and converted to a relatively new religious movement that promoted black self-reliance. This new religions was called "the Nation Of Islam."
At first Malcolm showed little interest in the Nation Of Islam, in fact, his nickname behind bars was "satan" due to his hostility towards any religion, but through his brother's, Reginald Little, writings and visits Malcolm's apathetic outlook on religion wained. He slowly gained acceptance to the movement. In one of Reginald's letters, sent in 1948, he instructed "Malcolm, don't eat any more pork and don't smoke and more cigarettes. I'll show you how to get out of prison." Malcolm followed this advice.
Upon learning more about the teachings of the Nation Of Islam, one teaching being white people are devils, Malcolm came to the conclusion that all his encounters and relationships with white people were tainted with dishonesty, injustice, greed, and hatred.
During the year 1950, Malcolm officially started signing his Surname (last name) as "X" as apposed to "Little." This Symbolized his unknown African family name. It sent the message that he had disassociated himself with the Surname "Little", the family name of of his ancestors Masters name, as clearly expressed in Malcolm's comment "for me, my 'X' replaced the white slavemaster name of 'Little', which some blue-eyed devil named Little had imposed upon my paternal forebears."
Malcolm's resentment toward white people was growing day by day.
Malcolm wrote to the leader of the Nation Of Islam, Elijah Muhammad, while serving time in prison and later recalled "months passed without my even thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then. I had never been so truly free in my life."
Malcolm revered Elijah Muhammad, looked up to him as a father figure, a Elijah soon became Malcolm's mentor.
With his stature, 6ft 3 inch tall and around 180lbs. His "mesmerizingly handsome... and always spotlessly well groomed." as one writer described him, and a natural talent for rhetoric, Malcolm possessed all the attributes of a born leader. These talents lined the path from recruit to recruiter as Malcolm was soon second to only Elijah as the most influential leader of the Nation Of Islam.
Malcolm took the Nation Of Islam from a small unknown to a Nationally well-known power in the struggle for civil rights. He was placed in-charge of many Temples throughout the nation, from Detroit, Boston, and Philadelphia, to Harlem.
In 1952 Malcolm X and the Nation Of Islam exposed itself to the mainstream United States when, on April 26th, a man by the nam of Johnson Hinton and two other members of the Nation Of Islam intervened when they saw Two New York police officers beating a black man with night sticks. Things turned ugly and the officers beat-up and arrested all those involved. Hinton was beaten so badly he suffered a subdural hemorrhage and brain contusions. It was not until Malcolm got involved by organizing a mass of followers to descend on the 28th police precinct demanding Hinton be taken to the hospital, did Hinton receive the medical care he needed. Content that his demand had been met, Malcolm exited the station, gave a simple hand signal to those that had gathered (a swelling of more than four thousand by this time) and every one left peacefully and silently. upon witnessing this, one officer commented to the New York Amsterdam News, (an African-American news paper) "No one man should have that much power."
Malcolm later sued the New York police department, and won the largest settlement in its history, for brutality. The new coverage of this incident thrust Malcolm to National headlines. The FBI, who had been keeping a close eye on Malcolm since 1953, now considered him to be a "key figure" deserved of notable surveillance.
Malcolm's increasing prominence, advocacy, and teachings while serving the Nation Of Islam fueled the establishments movement even farther. These teachings included, but are not limited to;
Black people are superior to white people.
White People are "devils."
Black people are the original people of the world.
And the demise of the white race is imminent.
Such notables as;
Cassius Clay to join their movement, which lead to Cassius changing his name to Muhammad Ali. The relationship between Malcolm and Ali grew to represent one kin to brotherhood.
During a Untied Nations General Assembly in New York, in September of 1960, Malcolm mingled with dignitaries from Egypt (Abdel Nasser), Guinea (Ahmed Sekou Toure) Zambian National Congress (Kenneth Kaunda). Fidel Castro talked with Malcolm for two hours in a private meeting after meeting him publicly and being impressed. Castro also invited Malcolm to visit Cuba.
Although Malcolm's popularity grew within the African-American sector, these viewpoints were considered racist, hateful, promoted black supremacy, segregationist, and violent by most whites and many blacks. Viewpoints which contradicted and threatened the improvement of race relations.
Although the leaders of the Civil rights movement and the leaders of the Nation Of Islam were both fighting the racial inequalities, each went about it in vastly different ways.
The Civil rights movement had a goal to end disfranchisement of African-Americans and fought racial segregation. These theories were contrasted by the Nation Of Islam, who forbade its members to vote, to not participate in any other form of political processes, and championed for African-Americans and Whites to live completely separate. An African-American country within the USA, while also advocating the return of African-Americans to Africa.
Malcolm X labeled the 1963 March on Washington, organized by Martin Luther King Jr, as "the farce on Washington" and did not understand why African-Americans would demonstrate so eagerly for an organized march that was "run by whites in front of a statue of a president who has been dead for a hundred years and who didn't like us when he was alive." He even referred to Martin Luther King Jr and other civil right movement leaders as a "chump" and "stooges", respectively.
web-static.nypl.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from web-static.nypl.org website:
http://web-static.nypl.org/exhibitions/malcolmx/becoming.html
www.pbs.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.pbs.org website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/
amex/malcolmx/timeline/timeline2.html
rebirthofthecool.wordpress.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from
rebirthofthecool.wordpress.com website:
https://rebirthofthecool.wordpress.com/2012/10/29/
fidel-castro-meets-malcolm-x-in-harlem-1960/
One of Malcolm's famous quotes is "My Alma Mater was books, a good library... I could spend the rest of my life reading. just satisfying my curiosity."
Malcolm devoured book after book. Making up for all the years lost to public education after dropping out of school.
Another one of Malcolm'c famous quotes resonates from his love for books and self-learning. He stated "As I see it today, the ability to read awoke in me some long dormant craving to be mental alive."
Once exposed to reading, Malcolm devoured many books. He also communicated with several of his siblings through reading and writing. Most of his siblings had discovered and converted to a relatively new religious movement that promoted black self-reliance. This new religions was called "the Nation Of Islam."
At first Malcolm showed little interest in the Nation Of Islam, in fact, his nickname behind bars was "satan" due to his hostility towards any religion, but through his brother's, Reginald Little, writings and visits Malcolm's apathetic outlook on religion wained. He slowly gained acceptance to the movement. In one of Reginald's letters, sent in 1948, he instructed "Malcolm, don't eat any more pork and don't smoke and more cigarettes. I'll show you how to get out of prison." Malcolm followed this advice.
Upon learning more about the teachings of the Nation Of Islam, one teaching being white people are devils, Malcolm came to the conclusion that all his encounters and relationships with white people were tainted with dishonesty, injustice, greed, and hatred.
During the year 1950, Malcolm officially started signing his Surname (last name) as "X" as apposed to "Little." This Symbolized his unknown African family name. It sent the message that he had disassociated himself with the Surname "Little", the family name of of his ancestors Masters name, as clearly expressed in Malcolm's comment "for me, my 'X' replaced the white slavemaster name of 'Little', which some blue-eyed devil named Little had imposed upon my paternal forebears."
Malcolm's resentment toward white people was growing day by day.
Malcolm revered Elijah Muhammad, looked up to him as a father figure, a Elijah soon became Malcolm's mentor.
With his stature, 6ft 3 inch tall and around 180lbs. His "mesmerizingly handsome... and always spotlessly well groomed." as one writer described him, and a natural talent for rhetoric, Malcolm possessed all the attributes of a born leader. These talents lined the path from recruit to recruiter as Malcolm was soon second to only Elijah as the most influential leader of the Nation Of Islam.
Malcolm took the Nation Of Islam from a small unknown to a Nationally well-known power in the struggle for civil rights. He was placed in-charge of many Temples throughout the nation, from Detroit, Boston, and Philadelphia, to Harlem.
In 1952 Malcolm X and the Nation Of Islam exposed itself to the mainstream United States when, on April 26th, a man by the nam of Johnson Hinton and two other members of the Nation Of Islam intervened when they saw Two New York police officers beating a black man with night sticks. Things turned ugly and the officers beat-up and arrested all those involved. Hinton was beaten so badly he suffered a subdural hemorrhage and brain contusions. It was not until Malcolm got involved by organizing a mass of followers to descend on the 28th police precinct demanding Hinton be taken to the hospital, did Hinton receive the medical care he needed. Content that his demand had been met, Malcolm exited the station, gave a simple hand signal to those that had gathered (a swelling of more than four thousand by this time) and every one left peacefully and silently. upon witnessing this, one officer commented to the New York Amsterdam News, (an African-American news paper) "No one man should have that much power."
Malcolm later sued the New York police department, and won the largest settlement in its history, for brutality. The new coverage of this incident thrust Malcolm to National headlines. The FBI, who had been keeping a close eye on Malcolm since 1953, now considered him to be a "key figure" deserved of notable surveillance.Malcolm's increasing prominence, advocacy, and teachings while serving the Nation Of Islam fueled the establishments movement even farther. These teachings included, but are not limited to;
Black people are superior to white people.
White People are "devils."
Black people are the original people of the world.
And the demise of the white race is imminent.
Such notables as;
Cassius Clay to join their movement, which lead to Cassius changing his name to Muhammad Ali. The relationship between Malcolm and Ali grew to represent one kin to brotherhood.
During a Untied Nations General Assembly in New York, in September of 1960, Malcolm mingled with dignitaries from Egypt (Abdel Nasser), Guinea (Ahmed Sekou Toure) Zambian National Congress (Kenneth Kaunda). Fidel Castro talked with Malcolm for two hours in a private meeting after meeting him publicly and being impressed. Castro also invited Malcolm to visit Cuba.
Although Malcolm's popularity grew within the African-American sector, these viewpoints were considered racist, hateful, promoted black supremacy, segregationist, and violent by most whites and many blacks. Viewpoints which contradicted and threatened the improvement of race relations.
Although the leaders of the Civil rights movement and the leaders of the Nation Of Islam were both fighting the racial inequalities, each went about it in vastly different ways.
The Civil rights movement had a goal to end disfranchisement of African-Americans and fought racial segregation. These theories were contrasted by the Nation Of Islam, who forbade its members to vote, to not participate in any other form of political processes, and championed for African-Americans and Whites to live completely separate. An African-American country within the USA, while also advocating the return of African-Americans to Africa.
Malcolm X labeled the 1963 March on Washington, organized by Martin Luther King Jr, as "the farce on Washington" and did not understand why African-Americans would demonstrate so eagerly for an organized march that was "run by whites in front of a statue of a president who has been dead for a hundred years and who didn't like us when he was alive." He even referred to Martin Luther King Jr and other civil right movement leaders as a "chump" and "stooges", respectively.
web-static.nypl.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from web-static.nypl.org website:
http://web-static.nypl.org/exhibitions/malcolmx/becoming.html
www.pbs.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.pbs.org website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/
amex/malcolmx/timeline/timeline2.html
rebirthofthecool.wordpress.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from
rebirthofthecool.wordpress.com website:
https://rebirthofthecool.wordpress.com/2012/10/29/
fidel-castro-meets-malcolm-x-in-harlem-1960/
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