Macolm X

A man was brought into this world on May 19,1925 to serve his people and help them open many doors. This man started of as a nobody and is now known to the world as being one of America's greatest Civil Rights leaders. Malcolm X Little was the 4th child born to Reverend Earl and Louise Little. He also had 3 half siblings. His dad believed in self-determination and worked for the unity of black people and tried to teach Malcolm the same way. His dad tried to raise Malcolm to be aware of his ethnic background and dignity. Violence was always sparked by white people that were trying to stop black people such as Rev. Little. (Malcolm's father) After he was born his family quite a few times before he they finally settled in Lansing, Michigan. His father became active in the University of Negro improvements Assoc. he also go involved in the Black Baptist Church. Throughout Malcolm's life he was dedicated to black people. I guess you could say that he followed in the footsteps of his father. Even though Malcolm, his brothers, sisters, and parents were all shot, burned out of their homes, harassed, and threatened they still fought for their freedom and for what they believed in. This culminated in the assassination of his father by the white people. When Malcolm was only 6 years of age his father was shot and died. Although all this happened to Malcolm throughout his life he still continued to go to school. HE graduated 8th grade with good grades, just as he thought his father would have wanted him to do. At the age of 15 Malcolm dropped out of school and began to learn the ways of the streets. He became acquainted with hoodlums, thieves, dope peddlers, and pimps. When he was twenty Malcolm was convicted of burglary, and he remained in prison till he was 27. While he was in prison he began to educated himself and he learned about and joined the Nation of Islam. He studied the teachings of Elijah Muhammad fully. In 1952 he was released a changed man. When he was released he went to Detroit and he joined the daily activity of the sect and was given instructions by Elijah Muhammad himself. After the teachings of Muhammad he changed his name to Al-Haji Malik El-Shabazz. His commitment helped build the organization nation-wide, while making him and international figure. He was interviewed for TV programs and by magazines and spoke across America at many different universities and other forums. Malcolm's power was in his words. Here is just a few of Malcolm's most powerful words. I feel like a man who had been asleep somewhat and under someone else's control. I feel what I'm saying now id for myself. Before, it was for and by guidance of another, now I think with my own mind. This means he took in all the information that people said, and used it as his own knowledge. He used to listen to what people would say and learn from what they said. Then one day he woke up and decided that he was the man in control and he has enough power to fight for what he believed in. Another great speech that Malcolm made was this one: This letter showed how he visited a country where all people were treated and that they have never heard of the word racist. He thought it was so amazing that people of all different ethnic beliefs could all eat of the same plate and drink from the same glass. His experience there was so amazing that he wanted the whole world to know how it was. Before his trip described in the letter above Malcolm was vehemently anti-white. He did not like whites and he believed that they were hell raisers and they had no more of a right to ridicule him than he does to ridicule them. He was taught as a child to hate whites so that is what he grew up believing. But after his trip to Abraham he came to see that all people were equal, regardless of their race. True anti-racism is color blindness.