Assassination

Assassination

After Malcolm's return from the Middle East and Europe he received an influx of threatening behavior from the Nation Of Islam. Malcolm acknowledged these threats with unwavering resolve. He commented "I'm a marked man. It doesn't frighten me for myself as long as I felt they would not hurt my family. ...No one can get out without trouble, and this thing with me will be resolved by death and violence."  

February 1964;

    Malcolm's personal car is bombed under the orders sent from the leader of the Nation Of Islam's Temple Number 7.

March 1964;

    Louis (X) Farrakhan, a Boston minister and future leader of the Nation Of Islam, is told by the active leader, Elijah Muhammad, that "hypocrites like Malcolm should have their heads cut off."

April 1964;

    The Nation Of Islam's propaganda magazine, Muhammad speaks, includes a cartoon of Malcolm's severed head bouncing, then rolling towards a pile of skulls. This same edition features an article where Malcolm's brother, Philbert (X) Little denounces him.

June 1964;

     The Nation Of Islam sued Malcolm to reclaim the house his family was living in, at East Elmhurst, Queens, New York. Malcolm and his family are ordered to vacate the residence.

     On the 8th of June, Malcolm's wife Betty Shabazz, receives a phone call that FBI surveillance intercepted and recorded. Betty was told that Malcolm was "as good as dead."

    On the 12th of June, Four days after the phone call, the FBI received a tip that "Malcolm X is going to be bumped off" from one of their informants.

July 1964;

    Suspected FBI undercover agent John Ali, who is Elijah Muhammad's aide, referred to Malcolm by stating "Anyone who opposes the Honorable Elijah Muhammad puts their like in jeopardy" on the 9th of the month.

December 1964;

    Louis (X) Farrakhan publishes another comment, in the Muhammad speaks propaganda machine, directed at Malcolm's demise. He writes "such a man as Malcolm is worthy of death."

These comments and threats continued through-out the conclusion of 1964 and into the early months of 1965. 

On February 15th, Malcolm X was scheduled to attend a hearing in the court system which intended to postpone the eviction of his family from the residence on East Elmhurst. However, the night before, on the 14th of February, the home was destroyed by fire. Four days later, on the 19th of February, Malcolm expressed concern that the Nation Of Islam was actively trying to kill him, to interviewer Gordon Parks.

Two days after his interview with Gordan Parks, Malcolm readied himself to speak in front of a crowd of 400 at Manhatton's Auduban Ballroom. His planned speech was to address the Organization of Afro-America Unity, in which he was allegedly going to blame the Nation Of Islam of setting his home on fire. but as he initiated his speech, someone from the crowd exclaimed "Get your hand outta my pocket!" 

Malcolm, along with his bodyguards, attempted to defuse the situation, but before order could be regained, a man with a sawed-off shot gun stormed forward and shot Malcolm in the chest. Two other men rushed the platform from where Malcolm was situated and fired semi-automatic handguns at Malcolm. 

Malcolm was sent to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 3:30pm. An autopsy report, performed at Bellevue morgue by Chief Medical Examiner Dr Halpera,

reviled he suffered multipul gunshot wounds, including buckshots from the initial shotgun, to his left shoulder, chest, legs, and arms. 

One man was arrested on the scene. Talmadge Hayer (aka, Thomas Hagan), after being beaten by patrons of the audience. 

The two other gunmen were identified as Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson by others although Hayer never acknowledged them as his accomplices, not even during his trial. Despite this, all three were sentenced to life in prison for murder over a year later, in March 1966.

Butler and Johnson maintained their exclusion of participation and their innocence. Butler was eventually paroled in 1985 and Johnson in 1987. Both changed there Christian names to Muslim names. Muhammad Abdul Aziz (Butler), and Khalil Islam (Johnson). 

Butler (Aziz) maintained a faction with the Nation Of Islam and became leader of the Nation's Harlem mosque in 1998.

Johnson (Islam) converted to Sunni Muslim while serving his time in prison and denounced the Nation Of Islam's teachings. He passed away in 2009.

Talmadge Hayer changed his name to Mujahid Halim and was paroled in 2010.

Malcolm's viewing services drew thousands (estimated between 14,000-30,000) of mourners to the Unity Funeral Home in Harlem. 

Ossie Davis delivered Malcolm's eulogy;

"There are those who will consider it their duty, as friends of the Negro people, to tell us to revile him, to flee, even from the presence of his memory, to save ourselves by writing him out of the history of our turbulent times. Many will ask what Harlem finds to honor in this stormy, controversial and bold young captain—​and we will smile. Many will say turn away—​away from this man, for he is not a man but a demon, a monster, a subverter and an enemy of the black man—​and we will smile. They will say that he is of hate—​a fanatic, a racist—​who can only bring evil to the cause for which you struggle! And we will answer and say to them: Did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you ever touch him, or have him smile at you? Did you ever really listen to him? Did he ever do a mean thing? Was he ever himself associated with violence or any public disturbance? For if you did you would know him. And if you knew him you would know why we must honor him"

His funeral was held on February 27th at Faith Temple of the Church of God in Christ. His funeral service was broadcast live on local television. His burial services took place at Ferncliff Cemetery where friends used the gravediggers tools to conclude his final moments.

web-static.nypl.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from web-static.nypl.org website: 
     http://web-static.nypl.org/exhibitions/malcolmx/malcolm.html

www.theroot.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.theroot.com website: 
     http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2011/12/ 
     black_history_encyclopedia_life_upon_these_shores.html

www.thecoli.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.thecoli.com website: 
     http://www.thecoli.com/threads/ 
     ?sway-minister-louis-farrakhan-details-stories-of-his-relationship-with-malcolm-x 
     -?.328887/page-3

news.stanford.edu. (n.d.). Retrieved from news.stanford.edu website: 
     http://news.stanford.edu/pr/95/950117Arc5411.html 

newsone.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from newsone.com website: http://newsone.com/ 
     2498805/farrakhan-malcolm-shabazz-fbi-malcolm-x/ 

www.thesmokinggun.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.thesmokinggun.com website: 
     http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/malcolm-x-killer-paroled

Mecca

Hajj and Mecca

When Malcolm separated from the Nation Of Islam he founded his own organization called "Muslim Mosque, Inc" along with another secular group called "the Organization of Afro-American Unity.", but continued in his same manner of aggression. On March 26th, 1964 Malcolm traveled to Washington DC to attend the senate's debate on the Civil Rights bill. During this time he met Martin Luther King Jr for the first and only time. It was a brief encounter barely long enough to capture the two in a single photograph frame. 

In April of the same year Malcolm cautioned the government about preventing African-Americans full equality. Advising if they do not, African-Americans would be obliged to take up arms. He also encouraged African-Americans to exercise their right to vote during a speech titled "The Ballot or the Bullet." 

Although Malcolm continued his militant undertones, he was persuaded by several Sunni Muslims to educate himself about the religion. Malcolm converted shortly after.

As part of his new undertaking as Sunni Muslim, Malcolm traveled to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to partake in the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Upon arrival in Saudi Arabia, his status as Muslim was questioned due to his U.S. Citizenship and inability to speak Arabic. This slight inconvenience turned into a window of opportunity for Malcolm. He was given a book titled "The Eternal Message of Muhammad" when his visa was approved. He contacted the author, Abdul Rahman Hassan Azzam, and the authors son negotiated his release from the Saudi immigration services. Azzam's son also set Malcolm up on his personal hotel suite. When Malcolm awoke the next morning, he was declared as a state guest by Prince Faisal whom he met several days later, after Malcolm had completed his Hajj to Mecca.

Malcolm's time during Mecca had a profound affect on him. It was the first time he was surrounded by Muslim's of "all colors, from blue-eyed blondes, black-skinned Africans." Malcolm was overcome by how these individuals interacted as equals and he concluded Islam was the path by which racial problems could be overcome.

Malcolm's militant undertones began to diminish after this experience, yet he remained a vocal force in the civil rights movement. 

middleeast.about.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from middleeast.about.com website: 
     http://middleeast.about.com/od/religionsectarianism/a/me080220b.htm

worldnews.roxyww.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from worldnews.roxyww.com website: 
     http://worldnews.roxyww.com/ 
     malcolm-x-after-mecca-return-from-hajj-1964-complete-version.html

killingthebreeze.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from killingthebreeze.com website: 
     http://killingthebreeze.com/ 
     baltimore-needs-malcolm-x-not-mlk-to-fight-injustice/ 

Separation from the Nation Of Islam.

Disassociation from the Nation Of Isalm

Within the faction of the Nation Of Islam there was a rising tension between the newcomer, Malcolm X, and the elder statesman, Elijah Muhammad that would ultimately lead to the disassociation of Malcolm X from the Nation Of Islam. 

The first sign of this tension was during 1961 confrontations between the Los Angeles Police department and members of the Nation Of Islam. Many Nation Of Islam members were arrested, but later acquitted. These tensions spilled over into 1962, and in April of that year, officers of the LAPD stormed Temple Number 27 and randomly assaulted members of the Nation Of Islam. A Korean War veteran by the name of Ronald Stokes was fatally short, even after surrendering. A lot of Muslims were prosecuted, but zero charges were brought agains the LAPD. 

Malcolm saw this as wrongdoing, racist, and discrimination that needed to be addressed with direct action. He implemented the use of his more hardened New York members to carry out this action. Louis Farrakhan (who became the leader of the Nation Of Islam later on) described Malcolm using tactics from his "Gangsterlike past" to address such issues. 

Elijah Muhammad did not support Malcolm's strong willed approach to the LAPD, nor did he support  Malcolm's critique of the Nation Of Islam opening communications with local black politicians, religious groups, and Civil rights organizations. Elijah Muhammad stated "...you don't go to war over a provocation." an he insinuated the other organizations would eventually turn to the Nation Of Islam in time. 

Malcolm's relationship with Elijah Muhammad soured farther when rumors began to circulate that Elijah was involved in extramarital affairs, which was a MAJOR violation of Nation Of Islam teachings, with young secretaries of his organization. Malcolm did not believe the rumors at first, but after consulting Elijah's son, Wallace, and the victims themselves his beliefs changed. In 1963 Elijah finally admitted to the allegations, but tried to defend them by justifying his actions as precedents set forth by biblical prophets.

Elijah with his wife;

Another nail in the coffin for Malcolm and Elijah's relationship happened on December 1963. With the assassination of President John F. Kennedy fresh in everyones mind, Malcolm made a bold and uncensored comment that the incident was a case of "chickens coming home to roost" that "chickens coming home to roost never did make me sad; they've always made me glad." Following these strong comments, the New York Times publicized an article stating "in further criticism of Mr Kennedy, the Muslim leader cited the murders of Patrice Lumumba, Congo leader, of Medgar Evers, civil rights leader, and of the Negro girls bombed earlier this year in a Birmingham church. These he said, were instances of other 'chickens coming home to roost'." 

These comments were contrary to the immage the Nation Of Islam wanted to portray, as the had forwarded a message of condolence to the Kennedy family. The had also ordered their ministers to abstain from commenting. 

As punishment for directly going against the orders set forth by The Nation Of Islam, they publicly censored Malcolm for his comments by prohibiting him from speaking publicly from 90 days.

 

As temperatures between the two leaders grew, Elijah Muhammad’s jealousy of Malcolm also grew. It was obvious who the media preferred, who had the personality that gained the attentions of the broadcasting moguls, publishers, and public. 

Elijah’s most loyal followers saw Malcolm as a threat to his leadership of the Nation Of Islam. This threat was greatly exaggerated when the book “When the Word is Given”, a book focused on the Nation Of Islam written by Louis Lomax was released and a photo of Malcolm X was used on the cover. Adding to Elijah’s envy, the author used only one of his speeches, yet used five of Malcolm’s.

On March 8th 1964, Malcolm stated he wanted to establish a black nationalist organization that would “heighten the political consciousness” of African-Americans while working with other civil rights leaders, which he had inhibited from doing under the leadership of Muhammad. Malcolm commented that because of the inherent rigidity of the Nation Of Islam’s teaching practices, it had “gone as far as it can” and publicly announced his separation from the Nation Of Islam.

www.columbia.edu. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.columbia.edu website: 
     http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ccbh/mxp/pdf/mx-lashooting.pdf

thepoliticsofreal.blogspot.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from 
     thepoliticsofreal.blogspot.com website: 
     http://thepoliticsofreal.blogspot.com/2013/02/ 
     the-truth-about-honorable-elijah.html

www.malcolm-x.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.malcolm-x.org website: 
     http://www.malcolm-x.org/docs/int_almus.htm

www.eurweb.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.eurweb.com website: 
     http://www.eurweb.com/2011/11/ 
     people-of-note-the-hadley-players-present-the-devil-elijah-muhammad/ 

www.columbia.edu. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.columbia.edu website: 
     http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ccbh/mxp/ali.html

Nation of Islam

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/ 

Youth expression

Youthful expression

In 1938 Malcolm attends West Junior High School in Lansing Michigan. The school is located in a white majority area. Malcolm is the schools only black student. Despite this, Malcolm excels academically. He is elected class president and is well liked by his class mates. Later in his life Malcolm would acknowledge he felt his class mate treated him less like a human being and more like a class pet.
A great turning point in Malcolm's life happened while enrolled at West Junior High School. He was asked, as every young child is asked during their youth, by his English teacher what he wanted to be when he grows up. Malcolm answered he wanted to be a lawyer. His English teacher's response was "One of life's first needs is for us to be realistic... you need to think of something you can be... why don't you plan on carpentry?" Malcolm took this comment as derogatory, that the English teacher was implying it was pointless in black people pursuing education. The following year, at the age of 15, Malcolm dropped out of school and moved east to live with his half sister, Ella, 72 Dale Street, Roxbury, a predominantly black neighbourhood in Boston.




Ella assisted Malcolm in finding a job as a shoe shiner at the Roseland Ballroom. Ella was a strong black woman who was heavily influenced by her father's ideals and inclusion in Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association. Later in Malcolm's life he stated his sister "was the first really proud black woman I had ever seen in my life. She was plainly proud of her very dark skin. This was unheard of among Negros in those days." Malcolm also mentions in his autobiography that "No physical move in my life has been more pivotal or profound in it's repercussions."
Despite Ella's good intentions for Malcolm, she could not prevent a teenage Malcolm from getting involved in Boston's criminal underground and selling drugs. Malcolm tried to straighten himself out by getting another job working on the Yankee Clipper, a train that transited between Boston and New York, as kitchen help, but this only exposed an impressional Malcolm to the life and profits of crime. Malcolm became involved in a life of drugs dealing, gambling, racketeering, and robbery.

During this youthful time, Malcolm expressed himself, like many teenagers do, with fashion. Malcolm wore zoot suits and is quoted as describing them as "a killer-diller coat with a drape shape, reet pleats and shoulders padded like a lunatic's cell." 


Another form of youthful expression Malcolm used, in 1940 at the tender age of 15, that was popular among the African-American culture was the Conk hair style. Many African-Americans used a home-made concoction of lye, potatoes, and egg called congalene. This caustic cream was combed through the hair and left for several minutes then rinsed and shampooed out. It was often painful, burned the scalp and left the hair straight with a lacquered sheen. Malcolm was quoted as describing his first encounter with this process as "the transformation, after a lifetime of kinks, is staggering."

Later in his life he commented on his undertaking of a drastic transformation as "my first really big step towards self-degradation: when I endured all that pain, literally burning my flesh with lye, in order to cook my natural hair until it was limp, to have it look like a white man’s hair. I had joined that multitude of Negro men and women in America who are brainwashed into believing that black people are ‘inferior’ – and white people ‘superior."

Adding to Malcolm's psychological wrestling match with racial conformity, inequality, and sense of belonging was his mother was born in Grenada, British West Indies. Her father, Malcolm's maternal Grandfather, was a white man from Scotland. She inherited a very light complexion, straight black hair, and had a West Indian accent that was unfamiliar to most African-Americans. Malcolm inherited her lighter complexion. Malcolm was the lightest skinned out of his siblings and had a slight red tint to his hair colour, which attributed to his nick name "Detroit Red."

During World War II. Malcolm avoided the draft because he was listed as "mentally disqualified for military service" after starting he wanted to be sent down south to "organise them nigger soldiers...steal us some guns, and kill us [some] crackers" to draft board officials.

Eventually, Malcolm's criminal activities caught up with him and on January 1946 he was arrested for carrying a firearm, breaking & entering, and Larceny. On February 27th Malcolm was sentenced to 8-10 years for Breaking & entering, Larceny.



nytimes.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from nytimes.com website: http://www.nytimes.com/ 
     1996/08/06/us/ella-collins-82-relative-who-aided-malcolm-x.html 

arogundade.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from arogundade.com website: 
     http://arogundade.com/ 
     did-malcolm-x-have-red-hair-background-information-about-his-hair-color-my-first- 
     conk-by-malcolm-x.html 

theclio.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from theclio.com website: http://www.theclio.com/ 
     web/entry?id=7553 

vault.fbi.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved from vault.fbi.gov website: 
     https://vault.fbi.gov/malcolm-little-malcolm-x

Who is Malcom X?

Early years:

Born on the 19th of May in 1925 into a poor family in Omaha Nebraska, Malcolm Little was the middle child of Louise's, Malcolm's Mother, eight offspring. Malcolm's Father, Earl Little, had three other children (Malcolm's half siblings; Ella, Mary, and Earl Jr) from his first marriage.

Malcolm's Father, Earl Little, was a Baptist minister. He was also an active member of Marcus Garvey's "Universal Negro Improvement Association" (UNIA) movement. Malcolm's Fathers involvement in the civil rights movement in the 1920's exposed Malcolm to racism at an early age. He even mentions his first encounter with white supremacist's before he was born. "When my mother was pregnant with me, she told me later, 'a party of hooded Ku Klux Klan riders galloped up to our house, brandishing their weapons and rifles, they shouted for my father to come out."

Earl Little's involvement in the UNIA triggered many more encounters of racist attacks. At four years old the local KKK members broke all of the family's windows. The Little family took action and moved to Lansing Michigan. Thinking they were escaping the brunt of racial attacks. This move proved to be futile in avoiding racial abuse. It was not long after moving to Lansing the Little's house and home was burned by a racist mob. Malcolm later recalled this incident, recounting "The white police and firemen came and stood around watching as the house burned to the ground."

In 1931, Malcolm's father's body was found on the local municipal street car tracks. Earl Little's death was officially ruled a suicide by the police.
Malcolm, among others, believed foul play by the local white supremacist group, the Black Legion, citing all the death threats Earl Little received prior to his death. A possible conspiracy for the ruling of suicide was to void the large life insurance police Earl had. The ruling of suicide left Louise and her family with zero monetary settlement from Earl's passing.
According to a local newspaper article, Earl had left his coat (with his wallet in it) on another street car. When he discovered this, while attempting to board a second street car, he went back for his coat and wallet. In the process he fell under the rear carriage of the streetcar, succumbing to his injuries.

After Earl Little's death, in 1937, Louise Little had been dating another man. After Louise informed her boyfriend she was pregnant with his child, the boyfriend vanished. This abandonment, along with all the other tough incidents Louise had suffered, led her to a nervous breakdown in 1938. She was admitted to Kalamazoo State Hospital. Louise's admittance to a psychiatric institution left her children in State care. Malcolm and his siblings were split up, sent to different foster care homes.

Biography.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from Biography.com website: 
     http://www.biography.com/people/malcolm-x-9396195 

brothermalcolm.net/family/eldeath.html. (n.d.). Retrieved from Brothermalcolm 
     website: http://brothermalcolm.net/family/eldeath.html 

brothermalcolm.net/family/mxbirth.html. (n.d.). Retrieved from 
     BrotherMalocolm.net website: http://brothermalcolm.net/family/mxbirth.html

malcolmx.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from malcolmx.com website: http://malcolmx.com