... The Assassination of Malcolm X On February 21, 1965, I was among the 400 Negroes that gathered in the Audubon Ballroom at 166th Street and Broadway in Harlem to attend a regular Sunday affair of Malcolm’s Organization of Afro-American Unity. Being that Malcolm’s movement emphasized self-defense, there was no search of anyone at the rally. The rally had been scheduled for 2:30pm. It was to be held in the second-floor hall of the two-story building. I arrived early in hopes that Malcolm would name the men who fire bombed his home last Sunday. There were 400 wooden folding chairs set up with two aisles going down the side but no center aisle. There was a restful country scene mural at the back of the stage. I sat in the 12th row and waited with anticipation. The speaker that spoke prior to Malcolm X stated that: “Malcolm X is a man who would give his life for you.” As Malcolm stepped up to the flimsy plywood lectern he gave the traditional Arabic greeting, “Salaam Aleikum,” which meant peace be unto you. We responded, “Aleikum Salaam.” Malcolm proceeded to say, “Brothers and sisters…” then he was interrupted. About four rows up was a disturbance. Two men jumped to their feet, one yelling at the other: “Get your hands off my pockets, do not be messing with my pockets.” Malcolm’s bodyguards hurriedly moved toward the pair. I then heard Malcolm say, Now, now brothers break it up, be cool.” Right after the first diversion came a second one. There was a sock, soaked in lighter...
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...1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. Earl and Louis little, his parents, worked hard to support their children of eight. Malcolm’s mother was a homemaker and his father was a Baptist minister and a supporter of the Black National leader. As a result Malcolm’s father received many death threats from white supremacist. They were forced to move to many different places. In 1929 the Littles’ house was burned to the ground due to their strong support of African American advancement. Two years later the body of Earl little was found mutilated lying across the towns railroad track. The police ruled it an accident but the Littles were certain that it was a member of the Black Legion. After Earl’s death Malcolm’s mother had an emotional breakdown and was sent to a mental institution. Her children were separated and sent to different foster homes. Malcolm was smart and had a dream of becoming a lawyer, but he lost his interest in school when his favorite teacher told him, “A lawyer is no realistic goal for a nigger.” Malcolm dropped out of school and spent time in Boston finding different jobs to earn money. By 1942 Malcolm was affiliated with narcotics, prostitution and gambling. Malcolm and his best friend Malcolm Jarvis, also known as Shorty, were arrested and convicted on burglary charges in 1946 and having affairs with white women. He was sentenced to seven years in prison. Malcolm’s whole life changed. His brother came to visit him and told him about the Nation of Islam. He became very interested...
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...Malcolm X was a civil rights activist who was very different in the way he protested. He was a vocal protester and did it without causing violence. He was different on many aspects such as, he wasn’t always a peaceful protester. Early in Malcolm’s career he was a violent protester. The violent things that surrounded him when he was younger made him a violent protester. Malcolm X as born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. Mother of of Malcolm Louise Norton was a homemaker that dealt with huge family,s . Earl Little, Malcolm’s father, was an outspoken baptist minister and a supporter of Black Nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Earl was a civil rights activist and this brought threats from the white...
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...X). This quote from one of Malcolm X’s speeches embodies who he was as a person and what he valued. As a civil rights activist, Malcolm learned not to let the hate of others prevent him from living out his life the way he wanted. While others pushed a pacifist movement, Malcolm understood that there would be no peaceful way to resolve the civil rights issues. Malcolm was prepared to fight for his own rights, and even put his own life at risk. The impact that he had on the Civil rights movement was rivaled only by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and all of his ideas were culminated into one speech, called The Ballot or the Bullet. Malcolm X’s speech comes during April of 1963, a critical time during the American Civil rights movement, and Malcolm’s ability to target and rile up the emotions of his African-American audience is what makes his speech so powerful. During the 1960’s, America was a hostile environment for an ambitious African-American citizen. Although executive leaders, such as John F. Kennedy, were promising that they had been doing as much as possible to improve civil rights, not enough actual progress had been made to improve the lives of African-Americans. In 1963 alone, a year in which the civil rights movement was supposed to take a huge step forward, hate crimes were still rampant. One such example was on September 15, 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama when a baptist church was burned to the ground by the KKK, killing 4 young girls attending sunday school (Younge 1)...
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...country. He is best remembered for the passion and power he displayed during all of his speeches, but his legacy has roots so much deeper than just that. He was the self-proclaimed “angriest man in America,” and he even openly called white people devils. Malcolm spent his whole life preparing himself for an inevitable death (Malcolm X, A Leader of Black Pride). He wanted to get his message out to the world before his time came, and it came much too early for a man like him. Malcolm X will live on throughout history because he was so passionate in his beliefs; though they changed often, he always stood up for what he believed was right, and there is nothing more respectable than that. Even if the man’s beliefs were radical at times. Malcolm’s birth name was Malcolm Little. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925 to parents Rev. Earl and Louise Little, the fourth of eight children (The Autobiography of Malcolm X). When he was about a year and a half old, his parents decided it was best to move out of Omaha after a Klu Klux Klan band warned them to leave, or else face consequences (Malcolm X). After passing through Milwaukee for a short time (Malcolm X, A Leader of Black Pride), they eventually found a place to stay, in Lansing, Michigan. Even though they had a new home, the Little family couldn’t seem to escape the “white devils” and soon they were struck with a tragedy. Lansing had it’s own white supremacy...
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...be faced with as he got older. His mother Louis Little was the product of the slave and master relations as she was mulatto and she hated herself for it as this also was a cause to his inspiration to become a serious activists in the civil rights movement. As he grew up he did very well academically and was very well liked by the whites who accepted him due to his lighter skin tone but as time went on he became very street minded in his ways as he grew up as a thief and street hustler as well as a pimp and drug dealer. All those events led him to prison where he was sentenced to 10 years and in that 10 years he became a changed man by joining the Nation of Islam and becoming a Black Muslim. He then changed his last name from Little to X as he did not want to take the name of a prior slave owner of his ancestors and eventually went on to become one of civil rights movement top respected leaders. I believe Malcolm X should be remembered by his successes such as his evolvement from a street minded hustler to a powerful civil rights leader, his leadership and organizations of the Black Muslims and his legacy to African Americans today. One of his successes I’d like to discuss was his transition from a street minded hustler to a powerful civil rights leader as mentioned above. Malcolm X lived every aspect of a street life but his main thing was running numbers and burglary. He eventually...
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...Malcolm was sent to prison. During his six year sentence, he became quite close with Elijah Muhammad (the leader of the Nation of Islam). Upon his release, Malcolm became self-educated and, an effective minister for the Nation of Islam. From 1946 to 1960 he was a loyal member of the group, but after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Elijah Muhammad felt that Malcolm had become to influential and powerful; so he banned him from the Nation of Islam. Shortly after being kicked out of the Nation of Islam, Malcolm changed his last name to X (to symbolize his lost African identity) and started his own organization; the OAAU (Organization of Afro-American Unity). The OAAU was founded to fight for human rights of African Americans and to initiate cooperation among those of African descent living in the Americas. His views were very much in unity with the views of Martin Luther King Jr; the only difference is...
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...Islam, like other monotheistic religions, such as, Judaism and Christianity; originated in the Middle East. There are many similarities and differences between Islam and other religions, such as Christianity and Judaism. Muslims have beliefs and rituals that have been practiced and followed throughout the world. Many times the religion of Islam has been misunderstood and misrepresented. This paper will explore the foundation and beginnings of Islam and discuss the role it has played in the lives of three significant social leaders in America: Malcom X (civil rights), Loon (rap music/entertainment, and Muhammad Ali (sports). Islam is based on the belief of one god. Islam began in the sixth century. Mecca, a city in Saudi Arabia, was growing as the new business center with a new population of wealthy people, but also with a growing division between the rich and poor. This changing situation in Mecca challenged the traditional system of Arable tribal values and social security. At that time, appeared the prophet Mohammad who preached the messages from the book of the Quran, which is the core of the religion, Islam. It was calling everybody to return to the worship of the true God and to fairness in the community. Muslims believe that God sent a revelation first to Moses (found in Hebrew Scripture, the Torah), then to Jesus Christ (the Gospel), and finally to the prophet Mohammad (through the Quran). Muhammad had told his followers that he is not the founder of a new religion...
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...Malcolm X I’m doing my final exam on a man named Malcolm X. Who inspired many African Americans in the civil rights movement. Malcolm X was born by the name of Malcolm Little who was born May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. His mother and father Louise Norton and Earl Little had a family of eight. His mother was a homemaker and his father was an outspoken Baptist Minister and an avid supporter of Black Nationalist. Malcolm and his family was always harassed by the black Legion. Several years later Malcolm’s father was found lying across the towns trolley tracks. After his father’s death his mother Louise suffered an emotional breakdown and was put inside of a nursing home and Malcolm and his 7 brothers and sisters were split up amongest various foster homes and orphanages. As Malcolm got older he moved back to Boston with an old friend and was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison and granted parole after serving 7 years because of burglary charges. After finishing school and getting his life together Malcolm studied the leader Elijah Muhammad which him taught how the white society treated blacks. Malcolm was then appointed as a minster and national...
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...an orphanage and dropping out of school he was out on his own Malcolm turned to the streets and got into some trouble. After being incarcerated, Malcolm joined the nation of Islam becoming a spokesperson that had many followers (Lee, 1992). He was fighting for the right of equality for African Americans. Due to the departure from one of his teachers Elijah Muhammad Malcolm then began to go his own way and founded a more peaceful way of settling the racist acts. While giving his last speech Malcolm X was assassinated by three men (Malcolm, 2012). Malcolm X changes in life helped him to grow into the person he became to be. Malcolm X Life Span and Development Malcolm Little who is publicly known as Malcolm X was born May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. He was born to the parents of Louise and Earl Little. He was one of eight siblings (Malcolm, 2012). Malcolm is famous for being an activist and prominent figure in the Nation of Islam. Malcolm dropped his name “Little” that was considered a slave name and inherited X (Malcolm, 2012). Malcolm went through many changes in life which had a huge impact on his psychological development. The activist had not always been a knowledgeable and peacemaking man. He faced many hardships from racism, family issues, incarceration that affected him emotionally, physically, and the events have also changed his thoughts of thinking. Malcolm was raised in the time period where racism was present. It...
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...safe to say that Malcolm had the blood of an activist. Rev. Little moved his family to Lansing when their house was burned down mysteriously. Rev. Little after having an argument with his wife was found dead in 1931. His head was severely bashed and his torso was cut almost in two by a streetcar. His death was reported a suicide but the community felt like it he was murdered. The stress of raising 6 children alone was too much for Louise to bare. She was declared insane and was placed in an institution in 1939. At 14 years old Malcolm’s life began to take a turn. After working odd job after odd job he finally found a job with the New Haven Railroad. He was fired from this job as well. He began to partake in the life of petty larceny and was eventually caught. After being found guilty he was sentenced to prison. In prison he began to educate himself and he converted to the Islamic faith. In 1952 Malcolm was released from prison and changed his name from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X. Now a Black Muslim in the Nation of Islam he began to preach about Islam. His work was effortlessly and he spoke to whoever would listen. Elijah Muhammad was impressed with him and made him a minister. He founded many new temples and converted thousands of people to his faith. Two years later Malcolm became a minister of Temple Number...
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...Degree or perhaps even a PHD. Even those intellectual black men were thought of as a waste of space, however they were given slightly more respect than those who were “Street Negros” (The Autobiography of Malcolm X). During this time it was surprising to see how education slightly altered how the black man was looked upon. The only formal education Malcolm got from society was middle school. During his “formal” education Malcolm was the top student in his class, he was the hardest working and he had the highest grades. We forget this is societies education and along with society the school is also a racist environment. Not only was Malcolm called upon by his fellow white students but the faculty also was very discouraging. Mr. Ostrowski was Malcolm’s teacher and the following text will show his crimes, “He told me, "Malcolm, you ought to be thinking about a career. Have you been giving it thought?" The truth is, I hadn't. I never have...
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...belonged to that social stratum, as well as their friends who also were present at that rally. From the stories I heard about him, I considered him with all sincerity of my heart to be a great teacher whom I revered for his morality. He did not receive any formal education. He challenged me, a person in his early twenties, with his idea of a better world in which we all were destined to live. He has verbalized some of my thoughts in an open way. His speech was not wordy but very precise. From his speeches, I was able to get a better understanding of the Black history. Whatever he said, he was honest; I believed his words as I read his work and was influenced by his awakening forces; I wanted to transform myself within the framework of Malcolm’s civic movement. I enjoyed learning and reading about Malcolm X because his words were truthful and trustworthy. It felt as if he was talking to me personally. It was a great and unforgettable feeling. He expressed his...
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...result, being sent to prison at the age of twenty one. In that facility, the Nation of Islam which were a group of Black Muslims, were a group of which he found interest in. After he left prison in 1952, he devoted himself to helping the Black Muslims, and later adopted the name; Malcolm X. Unfortunately, the group eventually decided to overthrow him, due to remarks made about John F. Kennedy (Helfer 34). This led him to depart from that movement. During March, 1964, he was occupied in arranging first the Muslim Mosque, Inc., and the Organization of Afro American Unity. He travelled twice to Africa and the Middle East also in the same year. That would end only three months after he returned (X &Perry 14). Once he landed in United States, he was assassinated in the city of New York on February 21, 1965. Since his child hood, Malcolm X was born into a society that embarked the ideas of radical Black tradition. Once he left prison, Malcolm joined the Nation of Islam and was taught by Elijah Muhammad. As with all Nation of Islam members, Malcolm little transformed to Malcolm X, to counter his slave name and embark on a journey for the search of his true personality. He also decided to take the family name of Shabazz, but still continued to use the X because of the popularity it gained over the years (Ball 29). He rose quickly in the Nation of Islam and later became the national spokesperson for it. The Nation was popularized by the organizing efforts of Malcolm X. As...
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...English Grade 11 “The Dead Butcher and his Fiend Like Queen” "This dead butcher and his fiend like queen", is the way in which Malcolm describes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in the last speech of the play. The images portrayed by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth change impressively throughout the play. Therefore, I believe that this quote is not an accurate judgment of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as it was based on one mistake, though a considerable mistake. To start with, I should first give an explanation about the two important words in this quote: a butcher is a person who kills people unnecessarily and brutally, while a fiend is someone very cruel and spiteful who symbolizes the devil. In order to consolidate his power, Macbeth kills Duncan, Banquo, Macduff's wife and son and all the people in the Castle of Fife. At this point, he is a "butcher"; in the full sense of the word. Although there were elements of butchery in Macbeths’ behavior, he also had many capacities. “For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name), Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution Like valor’s minion, carved out his passage” (I,ii,9), this quote portrays how Macbeth, at the beginning of the play, is seen as a loyal and courageous soldier who fights with all might to keep peace and stability in his country. “We will proceed no further in this business. He hath honored me of late…” (I,vii,41). Here, we realize that Macbeth is still hesitating...
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