Malcolm X in the African American History
Malcolm X was born on the nineteenth of May, 1925 by Malcolm little also referred to as El-hajj Malik. He was a human rights activist and also a Muslim minister. He was orphaned at an early stage. His father was assassinated when he was six. His mother was recommended a mental facility at the age thirteen (Wainstock & Dennis, 2009). From this point, Malcolm X stayed in several foster homes. This paper outlines the contributions of Malcolm X and the role he played in the in the history of the black Americans.
Increasing prominence
In 1950, Malcolm X adopted a new name. Malcolm el-Shabazz or Malcolm Shabazz, even though he was commonly identified as Malcolm. His comments on events and issues that were taking place at the moment were now being recorded and reported on radio, in print, and on the television (X Malcolm, 1992). His activities made him feature in a New York City television of 1959, where a broadcast was made about the Islamic Nation.
Malcolm X formed the welcoming committee that was put in place in September 1960, for welcoming Fidel Castro. He mission to New York was to attend the United Nations General Assembly. This committee comprised of Harlem community leaders who eventually met with Castro. He was specifically impressed by Malcolm X and later suggested a private meeting of two with him (X Malcolm, 1992). He was then invited by Castro to Cuba. Malcolm X invitation was made for him to attend the officials’ function during the general Meeting Assembly period of African Nations. On his trip, he met several outstanding personalities including Ahmed Sekou Toure of Guinea, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, and Gamal Abdel of Egypt.
Advocacy and teachings
Malcolm X had an influence on the promotion of the Nation’s teachings, adopted from the Islamic Nation before he broke it in 1964.Some of the teachings he made include: the beliefs that the African American people formed the world’s origin, the belief that the white people were devils, the belief that the blacks were superior to the whites, and the belief that the white peoples demise was imminent. During this period, many whites and blacks were ignited and alarmed by the things Malcolm X said (X Malcolm, 1992). Malcolm X together with the Islamic Nation were described as black supremacies, racists, segregationists, hatemongers, seekers of violence, and a great threat to the nation and the improved race relations among the people. Due to these actions, he was accused of anti-Semitism. The Islamic nation completely warned its people from being involved in the civil rights movement, whose role was to finish disfranchisement of the black Americans. Malcolm X was denounced by the Civil rights organizations as an irresponsible extremist and that his views were not in line with the black people.
Malcolm X was a critical rebellion of the movement of civil rights. He openly labeled Martin Luther King as a “chump” including other leaders of civil rights as “stooges” of the entire white establishment. He also abused the March on Washington in 1963 and wondered why it excited many black people yet it was a demonstration conducted by the whites. This demonstration was run in honor of the US president and to Malcolm X; this was a president who did not like the black people when he was alive. Malcolm X advocated the total separation of the black Americans from the white people as the civil rights movement made an effort to fight against segregation. He made a proposal that the African Americans were to return to Africa (X Malcolm, 1992). He suggested that a separate country to be created for the blacks as an interim measure. He openly rejected the movement of the civil rights organization of nonviolence arguing that the African Americans were to advance and defend themselves in any ways according to their wish. The speeches he made had powerful influence to his audience who were blacks from the western and northern cities. Most of the black communities in America began to feel the power and thought Malcolm X articulated their rights and complaints in a better way than the civil rights organization.
Malcolm’s impact on Nation membership
He was widely recognized as a leader who had a lot of influence on the Islamic Nation, ranked before other leaders like Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm was credited with the dramatic increase of the group in membership in 1950s and part of the 1960s.He inspired Cassius Clay, a boxer, to join the Nation. He then left the group to join the Sunni Muslim.
When he left the Islamic Nation, he went ahead and founded a Muslim Mosque. He established the Inc., a well-known religious organization (Crushshon, 2002). He also developed the afro- American Unity organization, an aggressive secular group that was meant to advocate for Pan-Africanism. He met Martin Luther King on March 26, 1964 for the first time and they both attended a senate’s debate on the bill of civil rights. He gave a speech on “The bullet or the ballot”, where he asked the black people to exercise their full rights including their freedom and rights to vote wisely. He also cautioned the black that there could be the need to take up arms in case the government continued to block the African Americans from attaining their rights and full equality.
Visits to Africa
Malcolm X made several tours across the African countries including Sudan, Nigeria, Ghana, and the United Arab Republic. After he toured Mecca, he made a visit to Africa for the second time. During these visits he gave interviews, met with African officials, and was interviewed on television and radio in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanganyika, Egypt, Senegal, Algeria, Guinea, and Morocco. He attended his second meeting in Cairo which talked about the African Unity organization, a representative of the African-America Unity organization. By the end of his third trip he had met with all the essential and prominent leaders of Africa including Gamal Nasser of Egypt, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, and Ahmed Bella of Algeria. All these leaders welcomed Malcolm X to serve in the government and make a contribution to the black people (Crushshon, 2002). He was bestowed the honor of “the Omowale” a son who has who has returned home, after he gave an inspirational speech for the students of University of Ibadan. This was later referred to as the most treasured honor.
CONCLUSION
On his way back home, Malcolm X made several stop over including Paris, where he spoke to several personalities on issues of extremism and the defense of liberty and moderation in the defense and pursuit of justice as a virtue for the African Americans. He is a prominent leader who is remembered in history as one individual with a unique and bold personality among the African American people.
Works cited
Crushshon, Theresa. Malcolm X. Chanhassen, Minn: Child's World, 2002. Print.
X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: One World/Ballantine Books, 1992. Print.
Famous African-Americans. Las Vegas, NV N.p., n.d. Print.
Wainstock, Dennis D. Malcolm X, African American Revolutionary. Jefferson, NC [u.a.: McFarland Publ, 2009. Print.
