http://cchronicle.com/2010/02/trippin-on-x/comment-page-1/
By Eryn-Ashlei Bailey
February 8, 2010
Young Malcolm:
Malcolm Little was born on May 19, 1925 and he died as Malcolm X on
February 21, 1965. Injustice serves as the bookends on either side of
Malcolm's life. From Omaha, Nebraska to Mecca, Saudi Arabia back to
Harlem, New York Malcolm traveled and it seemed that trials and
tribulation followed him. As we have remembered Black History Month
thus far, Garveyism, militant, and non-violent groups have been
reviewed. Malcolm comes from another strata of the multifaceted push
towards racial equality in the twentieth century United States. His
life was so full of adventure, faith, disappointment and unfairness,
it's expected that people still trip off Malcolm X.
Raised by a Baptist minister and black liberator Earl Little, Malcolm
was exposed to the fight for black freedom at a young age. Because
his father was outspoken and supported the work of Marcus Garvey, the
Little family became a target of Omaha's KKK. Early run-ins with the
KKK include the burning of Malcolm's home in 1929 and the death of
his father Earl which was called an accident by the authorities. Earl
Little's body was found along the trolley tracks which could hardly
be considered an accident. Shortly after, Malcolm's mother suffered a
mental breakdown and was hospitalized leaving her eight children to
be cared for by several different foster families. The KKK
successfully destroyed Malcolm's family and to a young and angry
mind, that could have been taken to mean that white men destroyed his
family. Malcolm would spend the greater part of his life evening up these odds.
Needless to say, Malcolm was dealt a tough hand and was left to be
his own wild card. Luckily for Malcolm, he was talented and
intelligent enough to be his own best resource. Discouraged by the
words of a favorite teacher after junior high school, Malcolm
exchanged schooling for the rules of the streets. At the age of 17,
Malcolm was involved in gambling, drug dealing, and prostitution
rings in Boston, MA. At 21, Malcolm was sentenced to prison for 10
years on a burglary charge. The prison walls left a young Malcolm
with nothing but time to think. In so doing, Malcolm picked up on
knowledge where he left it some many years ago.
Nation of Islam:
While serving time behind bars, Malcolm was visited by his brother
Reginald who had recently converted to the Nation of Islam. Turning
to religion as a source of organization, spiritual fulfillment, and a
way to economically and socially advance the black man, Malcolm
became a follower of the Nation of Islam. After joining the Nation of
Islam, Malcolm officially dropped his last name Little and opted for
the "X" as a symbol of the disownment of his assimilated last name.
Understanding why Malcolm decided to join the Nation of Islam is not
difficult. The NOI is not merely a religious group that follows a
series of tenet beliefs and meets on church weekly. Rather, the
Nation of Islam is a social and political organization that is
dedicated to the enlightenment of its members. On the Day of American
Independence in 1930, the Nation of Islam was founded by Wallace D.
Fard Muhammad, who would later claim that he was the embodiment of
the Christian Messiah, the Mahdi of Islam, and the Savior that the
world's religions were waiting on.
Although the Qur'an is studied by the Nation of Islam, the mainstream
Muslims do not consider the NOI as a Muslim group. Rather, mainstream
Muslims attest that NOI merely uses Islamic principles in their
phraseology. The most fundamental difference between traditional
Muslim culture and the Nation of Islam, lies in the basic premise
that NOI followers believe that Wallace D. Fard was the embodiment of
God. It is believed by traditional Muslims that God would never
inhabit the body of a man, in fact, such an embodiment would be of
the greatest dishonor to God or "Allah".
During the conversion of Malcolm X, the Nation of Islam was run by
Elijah Muhammad. Elijah Muhammad is said to have undergone intense
spiritual training and enlightenment by Wallace D. Fard. The Nation
of Islam may have appealed to Malcolm X at the time because of its
insular nature and strong beliefs in black empowerment. Some
criticize the NOI as being so insular that it is exclusionary in many
ways. The NOI and Malcolm X have been accused of antisemitism. (The
current leader of the NOI is Louis Farrakhan. He interviewed with Tim
Russet on April 13, 1997 and spewed some particularly controversial
statements about Jews and their role in the Holocaust. Farrakhan is
known for his powerful speeches with incredibly strong racial content
that will perk ears of anyone from any background. The
Anti-Defamation League accused the Health Minister of the NOI of
falsely stating that Jewish doctors inject black men with the AIDs virus.)
As Malcolm was raised to have black pride, the NOI was a suitable
home for a powerful, fearless, and intelligent man. Perhaps the most
fascinating part of the study of Black History Month is delving into
the various paths traveled by each of the pioneers of the movement.
Depending on each individuals orientation, respective paths were
chosen accordingly.
Malcolm like Marcus Garvey, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Huey
Newton, was an incredibly powerful speaker and followed by the FBI.
Elijah Muhammad, then the leader of NOI recruited Malcolm as a
foreman immediately. Malcolm's influence was so vast, he is credited
with swelling the membership of NOI from 500 people in 1952 to 30,000
in 1963. Not only was Malcolm a great speaker, Malcolm was a
wordsmith and left his footprints on the sands of written word. The
Autobiography of Malcolm X and By Any Means Necessary are amongst
Malcolm's more famous works.
As his workings with the NOI continued, Malcolm became the face of
the movement. His popularity was so great that it overshadowed Elijah
Muhammad. This popularity was one facet of the eventual bifurcation
of Malcolm X with the NOI. Upon finding out that Elijah Muhammad was
having numerous sexual relationships with other NOI women and
fathering sons to them, Malcolm became reacquainted with an old
emotion that stalked his young life, disappointment. Malcolm had
invested faith in Elijah Muhammad and the NOI, a faith that was
necessary to Malcolm's survival. As is often the case when we put our
faith in people and are unpleasantly surprised, anger sets in and
eventually rejection takes it place. Malcolm was asked to keep quiet
about the goings on of Elijah Muhammad but he refused. Malcolm X left
the NOI as he felt that he could not represent a fraudulent
organization. Because he took the tenets of NOI seriously, Malcolm
also expressed guilt for converting so many others to the NOI as well.
A common denominator in wonderful role models is their uncanny
ability to adapt to change and shift effortlessly. After leaving the
NOI, Malcolm traveled to Mecca, Saudi Arabia where he experienced his
faith in a completely new way. Upon his return, Malcolm welcomed
people of all races and embraced white people as his brethren,
something that was unheard not too long before. In his travels,
Malcolm met with Fidel Castro, went to Africa and one could say in so
doing, saw through his fathers' dream. Malcolm was also highly
coveted as a public speaker at college campuses across the country.
And to a man like Malcolm, there was no greater opportunity than to
educate the youth of America.
Malcolm was married to Betty X and they had six children together.
Unfortunately, history repeated itself and Malcolm was murdered in
cold blood by three men firing 15 bullets at close range. These men
were affiliated with the NOI and convicted of first-degree murder.
Inquisitive minds would wonder at the motivation, reward, and
religious basis of murdering Malcolm X at the hands of men part of a
religious group. If Malcolm X died for what he believed was just
politically, morally, and religiously, did his killers invalidate
their own mission in murdering him? Did they not make him a martyr
and all the more powerful to young and old minds? Could one wonder if
he died a death of other true leaders, a man who lived for something
he would and did die for?
Malcolm's funeral was attended by a vast group of mourners because of
the lives he forever marked with an X.
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