In honor of Black History Month, BHA would like to remember and honor the legacy of el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz also known as Malcolm X.
Malcolm X: Early Life
Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1931, Malcolm’s father was allegedly murdered by a white supremacist group called the Black Legionaries, though the authorities claimed his death was an accident. Mrs. Little and her children were denied her husband’s death benefits. At age 6, the future Malcolm X entered a foster home and his mother suffered a nervous breakdown. Though highly intelligent and a good student, he dropped out of school following eighth grade. He began wearing zoot suits, dealing drugs and earned the nickname “Detroit Red.” At 21, he went to prison for larceny.
Malcolm X and The Nation of Islam
It was in jail that Malcolm X first encountered the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, head of the Lost-Found Nation of Islam, or Black Muslims, a Black nationalist group that identified white people as the devil. Soon after, Malcolm adopted the last name “X” to represent his rejection of his “slave” name.
Malcolm was released from prison after serving six years and went on to become the minister of Mosque No. 7 in Harlem, where his oratory skills and sermons in favor of self-defense gained the organization new admirers: The Nation of Islam grew from 400 members in 1952 to 40,000 members by 1960. His admirers included celebrities like Muhammad Ali, who became close friends with Malcolm X before the two had a falling out.
Malcolm X’s politics also earned him the ire of the FBI, who conducted surveillance of him from his time in prison until his death.
Organization of Afro-American Unity
Disenchanted with corruption in the nation of Islam Malcolm X left the organization for good. A few months later, he traveled to Mecca, where he underwent a spiritual transformation: "The true brotherhood I had seen had influenced me to recognize that anger can blind human vision," he wrote. Malcolm X returned to America with a new name: El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz.
In June 1964, he founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which identified racism, and not the white race, as the enemy of justice. His more moderate philosophy became influential, especially among members of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
Malcolm X Assassination
Malcolm X was assassinated by a Black Muslim at an Organization of Afro-American Unity rally in the Audubon Ballroom in New York City on February 21, 1965. Malcolm X had predicted that he would be more important in death than in life, and had even foreshadowed his early demise in his book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Malcolm X began work on his autobiography in the early 1960s. It chronicled his life and views on race, religion and Black nationalism. It was published posthumously in 1965 and became a bestseller.
The book and Malcolm X’s life have inspired numerous film adaptations, most famously Spike Lee’s 1992 film Malcolm X starring Denzel Washington.
Shaheed Malcolm X is buried in Ferncliff Cemetery, New York.
