Malcolm X

Malcolm X (birth name: Malcolm Little, and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (الحاجّ مالك الشباز)) was and is still considered to be one of the most great and influencial African Americans in U.S. History.

Early Years
Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925 with the name Malcolm Little. His father, Earl Little, admirer of Pan-African activist Marcus Garvey and local leader of the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association), raised his children and taught them both self-reliance and black pride.

Because of threats from the Ku Klux Klan (also known as the KKK), the family ended up re-locating to Milwaukee, Winsconsin in 1926, soon moving again to Lansing, Michigan. In Lansing, the family was often harrased by the Black Legion, a white racist group.

When Malcolm was six his father was killed in a "streetcar accident" although his wife believed his death was actually murder with Black Legion being the guilty party. Rumors of white racists being behind his father death greatly disturbed young Malcolm. Even as an adult he expressed a conflicted belief on the true cause of his father's death.

In 1937, A man Malcolm's mother had been dating, vanished upon the discovery of her pregnancy. In late 1938 she experienced a nervous breakdown and was placed in Kalamazoo State Hospital. Her children were seperated and sent to fosterhomes. Malcolm and his siblings, 24 years later, would secure her release.

Malcolm excelled in junior high school, however he dropped out when a white teacher told him that his aspiration of practicing law was "no realistic goal for a n*gger."

From the ages of 14 to 21 Malcolm had various jobs while living with his half sister in a largely African-American neighborhood of Boston. After a short time in Flint, Michigan he moved to Harlem, New York in 1943 where he dabbled in drug dealing, gambling, racketeering, robery, and pimping. According to recent biographies, he even had sex with men, typically in order to get money.

In late 1945, Malcolm returned to Boston where he and four accomplices preformed a series of burglaries with wealthy white families being their targets. In 1946, he was arrested while picking up a stolen watch he left in a repair shop, and in february he began serving an 8-10 long sentence in Charlestown State Prison for theft and breaking and entering.

Prison
During his time in prison, Malcolm met fellow convict John Bembry, a self educated man he described as "the first man I had ever seen command total respect... with words." It was under Bembry's influence that Malcolm developed a large appetite for reading. It was also during his time in prison that he damaged his vision due to the astigmatism he gained from reading so much in the lights-out glow.

Malcolm X recieved several letters from his siblings mentioning the Nation of Islam (The Nation of Islam was a new religious movement promoting black self-reliance and ultimately the return of African Americans to Africa, where they would be free from caucasian domination). He showed only a slight interest in the until one of his brothers wrote, "Malcolm, don't eat any more pork and don't smoke any cigaretts. I'll show you hot to get out of prison." Malcolm, in response, quit smoking and refused to eat pork.

Activities after leaving the Nation
Organizations Founded and Views Expressed After he had left the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X founded the Muslim Mosque, Inc., a religious organization, and the Organization of Afro-American Unity, a secular organization dedicated to supporting Pan-Africanism. March 26th, 1964 lead to the first and only meeting between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. as the two had both attended the Senate's debate on the Civil Rights Bill - and this meeting only lasted long enough for photos to be taken.

In April, 1964 Malcolm gave a speech fittingly named "The Ballot or the Bullet" in which he advised his fellow African-Americans to exercise their right to vote wisely yet cautiously. He also said that if the government continued their prevention of the full equality of Blacks that it might become nessicary to take up arms.

At this time, Malcolm X was encouraged by several Sunni Muslims to learn about their faith and soon enough he became a convert to Sunni Islam.

Assassination
On the 21st of February, 1965, Malcolm X was preparing to address his Organization of Afro-American Unity in the Audubon Ballroom (Located in Manhattan, New York). Somebody in the 400 person audience yelled out, "N*gger! Get your hand outta my pocket!" leading Malcolm X and his bodyguards to attempt to stop the disturbance. During this, a man rushed forewards and shot Malcolm X once in the chest while two other men charged the stage while firing semi-automatic handguns.

Malcolm X was pronounced dead at 3:30 pm shortly after his arival at the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, in which the autopsy identified a total of 21 gunshot wounds to his chest, left shoulder, arms and legs.

Legacy
Malcolm X has been viewed as one of the greatest and most infuential African Americans in history.