Malcolm X

Juan Samala Grace High School

11th Grade Report

Malcolm X

Malcolm X Malcolm was born on May 19, 1925 in an Omaha hospital. He was born into a world of hatred and violence toward his kind and from he was little, he knew that he would die in a similar manner. Malcolm's father who was a large black man was a Baptist Minister. Though he and his family on many occasions were threatened by members of the Black legion and the Ku Klux Klan, that if he did not stop starting preaching of Marcus Garvey, that they would kill him. Malcolm's father was not a scared man, and he continued to preach. Ever since Malcolm was little, he never had much respect for the Christian religion or the followers of it.

"Don't be in a hurry to condemn because he doesn't do what you do or think as you think or as fast. There was a time when you didn't know what you know today."

-Malcolm X

One of Malcolm's earliest memories was an afternoon in 1921 when he had seen his mother and father fighting. In a fit of rage Earl stormed off, and was never seen alive by the members of the little family again. Members of the Black Legion murdered him. Malcolm's mother was a strong woman, and refused to give up her children, and though they were poor, she attempted to support the large fatherless family without the charity of others. Because a white man rapped Malcolm's mother's mother, Malcolm's mother had a very light complexion that was easily mistaken for white. Though Malcolm's mother hated every drop of white blood in her, she was thankful that it made it that much easier to get jobs doing things Negroes normally wouldn't be trusted to do. But it seemed every time things were going well, an employer of nosey neighbor, would see widow Little with one or more of her black children, and would be fired.

Malcolm, because of his hunger, and the poverty his family was stricken with became a juvenile delinquent. He began stealing foods from stands, and going about other less than legitimate way's of feeding himself. The state became aware of the Littles financial problems, and though Ms. Little didn't want to accept, was put on welfare. They were constantly under the surveillance of the state people, and when the stress became too much for Malcolm's mother to deal with alone, and she began to have a nervous breakdown, she was quickly put into Kalamazoo.

Malcolm due to his delinquent habits that had been observed while he was under the care of his mother, and his expulsion from regular school, was to be put into a reform school. Before Malcolm was to attend the reform school, He was to attend a Detention home in Mason. This detention hall was were all the bad kids of Ingham County were sent on their way to reform school. Malcolm became like a mascot in this "transition" school, and he actually did very well academically. He became one of the best students in the school. Despite Malcolm's academic success, his most memorable occurrence at the school was when his English teacher asked him what he planned to be when he grew up. Malcolm who had really not given the topic much thought blurted out that he might become a lawyer. What had hurt Malcolm the most was that this was coming from the same teacher who encouraged students who hadn't half as good grades as Malcolm to peruse their goals. This little lecture had discouraged Malcolm, and he began to withdraw himself from school. And by some miracle his sister Ella was able to have him transferred to Massachusetts as soon as he had finished the 8th grade. He meets a man named Shorty, and he "schools him on how to be hip." It turned out that Shorty was also from Lansing. The two hit it off, and Shorty never knew how young Malcolm was.

"This was a brother you could believe. There was the sense that he was not in it for something. That was the extraordinary thing about him. He was in it because of his commitment to our liberation."

-James Turner (Founding director of Africana Studies at Cornell University)

At first the friends just have fun together going Lidney hopping, and conking their hair to look white, and "Red" being hooked up by Shorty's many connections. One night Malcolm decided to take a girl named Laura who he had become friendly with Lidney hopping. She had a very strict grandmother who she was living with, and she had a big fight with her about her attending the dance session with Malcolm. Laura was an excellent student, and was always reading a book. But the first fight with her grandmother had triggered something in her head, and she became insubordinate. She began using drugs, and started hating men, and became a lesbian. Malcolm throughout his life felt directly responsible for this. Malcolm began seeing regularly a white woman named Sophia whom he had met at a Black dance.

Though Sophia was a fully-grown woman, and Malcolm was barely 15, his appearance would never have given that away. To Malcolm this was a form of status, and to Sophia this was a way to satisfy her crave for black men. Malcolm's Sister Ella became aware of their seeing each other, and got him a job working as a vendor on trains. The destination of one of the train's stops is Harlem New York, and Malcolm found his calling. This new place was magnet, which Malcolm couldn't resist. The blacks around here were not like those he had seen else were. They were not all show. They unlike other blacks Malcolm had seen did not make a point of flashing whatever money they did have, but they would pay their dues with appropriate bills, and wouldn't try to give an image that they were financially secure.

Malcolm eventually moves away from Ella and moves down to Harlem. This begins again what had been contained for a good amount of time. Malcolm begins to run numbers, and sells drugs as well as use them. He becomes a hustler. He befriends other drug users, pimps, and prostitutes. He also befriends many famous black musicians whom he would sell and smoke refers with. Malcolm's brother Reginald made his way down to Harlem to visit him every couple of weeks. He had always looked up to his brother. Shorty also visits him often, as did Sophia. One night Sophia brought her younger sister by, and she and Shorty hit it off instantly.

"You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom."