FREE ESSAY ON MALCOLM X

MALCOLM X

Summary
Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. His real name was 
Malcolm Little. His parents were Earl and Louise Little. They were both members of 
Marcus Garveys Universal Negro Improvement. His father was a Baptist preacher.
All together there were 8 children. Malcolm and his family was driven from Omaha by 
the KKK when he was an infant. They moved from Omaha to Lansing, Michigan. In 
Lansing their house was burned down by a white hate group, Black Legionnaires.
Earl Little died when Malcolm was 6. After his father died, his mother had a mental 
breakdown. The children were all given to foster homes. Malcolm quit school after the 8th

grade. He became involved in hustling, drug dealing, and burglaries. From 1946 to 1952 
he was in a penitentiary. During his prison time Malcolm became religious. When he was 
released he became a minister for the nation of Islam. He was the national spokesman for

Elijah Muhammed. The Nation of Islam grew from several 100 members to 100,000 
members under Malcolms leadership, it also prouduced 40 temples in the United States 
and bought 30 radio stations. 
The Nation of Islam recruited members from ghetto poor communities, people 
from the prisons, hustlers, drug dealers, pimps, prostitutes, and thieves. These people 
were believed to be, "ethically impoverished by white racist neglect of their fundamental

needs." These fundamental needs were self-respect, social dignity, to understand their 
royal black history, and to worship and serve a black god. The Nation of Islam also 
believed women were a, "lethal source of deception and seduction from within." The 
women had to wear a modest dress, they were under close supervision of men, and they 
were relegated to the background. 
In March of 1964 Malcolm left the Nation of Islam. Muhammed forbade him 
from speaking in public for 90 days for saying that the violence in the United States had

committed in other parts of the world were returning to haunt this nation. After he left
he 
formed two organizations, one religious, Muslim Mosque, and one political, Organization 
of Afro-American Unity. He believed that broad social engagement provided blacks the 
best chance for ending racism. He also started traveling. He traveled to the Middle East,

Africa, and to Mecca. Many people believe Malcolm X was a revolutionary black 
nationalist whose exclusive interest was to combat white supremacy while fostering black

unity. Malcolm was gunned down on Febuary 21, 1965 by loyalists of the Nation of 
Islam. He was killed only 50 weeks after he had left the Nation of Islam. 
After he died, many black groups said they preached the same beliefs that 
Malcolm had believed, one in particular was the Black Panthers. He strongly appeals to 
men from 15 to 24.
Bibliography
Making Malcolm: The myth and meaning of Malcolm X by Michael Eric Dyson