Malcolm X stays one in every of probably the most influential—and infrequently polarizing—figures of the twentieth century. A robust voice for Black delight, resistance, and transformation, he was greatest identified for his uncompromising rhetoric and daring imaginative and prescient of Black empowerment. However behind the headlines and speeches was a person whose life journey was marked by self-education, ideological evolution, and a deep dedication to restoring dignity and identification to Black communities far and vast.
Although widely known for his highly effective oratory, Malcolm was additionally a self-taught mental. Whereas in jail, he immersed himself in books, instructing himself every part from historical past to philosophy. By way of his later work, he inspired Black Individuals to reclaim their heritage, perceive their rights, and embrace their freedom, not simply politically, however culturally and spiritually.
In honor of Malcolm X’s one centesimal birthday at present, Might 19, listed below are 5 issues you might not have identified concerning the legendary freedom fighter.
1. He Wasn’t All the time “Malcolm X.”
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Born Malcolm Little in 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska, he ultimately rejected his surname, calling it a “slave identify” handed down by white oppressors. Instead, he adopted “X,” an emblem of the unknown African identify and identification stolen by way of slavery, in accordance with the African American Mental Historical past Society.
For Malcolm, the “X” wasn’t only a letter. It was a daring declaration of resistance and a lifelong quest for fact and self-definition. This philosophy was rooted in a broader perception shared by many Black nationalists that African Individuals, as descendants of a “misplaced tribe,” and forcibly reduce off from their ancestral language, faith, and historical past, wanted to reclaim their stolen legacy. As Malcolm as soon as stated inside “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” slavery made Black Individuals the earth’s solely race of people that had completely no “data of their very own language, faith, and previous tradition.”
For a lot of, shedding European surnames in favor of African, Islamic, or self-chosen names grew to become a radical act of liberation, a necessary step within the broader Black revolution for autonomy, dignity, and self-respect.
2. He Was A Self-Taught Scholar In Jail.
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Whereas serving a prolonged jail sentence for housebreaking in 1946, Malcolm underwent a profound private transformation. He spent numerous hours studying within the jail library, ultimately copying all the dictionary by hand to enhance his vocabulary.
In “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” the liberty fighter revealed that he was “fascinated” by the method of studying, uncovering intriguing particulars about “locations and occasions from historical past.”
He added, “Truly, the dictionary is sort of a miniature encyclopedia… That was the way in which I began copying what ultimately grew to become all the dictionary. It went so much sooner after a lot follow helped me to select up handwriting pace. Between what I wrote in my pill and writing letters, throughout the remainder of my time in jail, I’d guess I wrote 1,000,000 phrases.”
By way of intense self-education, he not solely grew to become one of the eloquent and highly effective voices of the civil rights period but in addition started to embrace a deeper political and spiritual identification. It was throughout this era that he found the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, chief of the Nation of Islam (NOI), sometimes called the Black Muslims.
Upon his launch in 1952, Malcolm formally joined the NOI motion and adopted the identify Malcolm X. Due to the mental self-discipline he developed in jail, he shortly gained a fame for his sharp thoughts and commanding presence. His expertise for public talking propelled him to the place of nationwide spokesman for the NOI.
3. He Broke From The Nation of Islam.
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Though Malcolm rose to nationwide prominence as a minister for the NOI, he ultimately break up from the group in 1964 over issues concerning the conduct of Elijah Muhammad.
In accordance with NBC Information, Malcolm X held feminist views and incessantly challenged conventional restrictions positioned on girls in mosques. His determination to depart the NOI was influenced partly by allegations of sexual misconduct towards its chief, Elijah Muhammad.
After leaving the NOI, Malcolm based the Muslim Mosque, Inc. and later the Group of Afro-American Unity, broadening his focus to incorporate human rights and international solidarity.
4. His Pilgrimage To Mecca Modified His Worldview.
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In 1964, Malcolm made the Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. There, he encountered Muslims of all races and nationalities, which deeply affected him. He returned with a extra inclusive view of race and commenced advocating for unity amongst all oppressed individuals, no matter pores and skin shade, a shift from his earlier separatist stance.
“By no means have I witnessed such honest hospitality and the overwhelming spirit of true brotherhood as practiced by individuals of all colours and races right here on this Historic Holy Land, the house of Abraham, Muhammad, and all different prophets of the Holy Scriptures,” Malcolm penned in a letter he wrote from Mecca on April 20, 1964, in accordance with paperwork obtained by ICIT Library. “For the previous week, I’ve been totally speechless and spellbound by the graciousness I see displayed throughout me by individuals of all colours.”
Malcolm X traveled not solely to Africa and the Center East but in addition to components of Europe. Notably, he visited a number of African and Center Japanese nations even earlier than endeavor his Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, NBC Information famous.
5. The FBI Saved Shut Tabs On Him.
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Malcolm X was below in depth surveillance by the FBI, which stored an in depth file on him and monitored his speeches, journey, and associations. Declassified paperwork present that the federal government thought-about him a serious risk as a result of his affect and rhetoric, notably as his message advanced to embrace a extra worldwide and human rights-based agenda.
In accordance with Historical past, the FBI’s surveillance of Malcolm X reportedly started in 1950 whereas he was nonetheless in jail. That yr, he wrote a letter to President Harry Truman, declaring himself a Communist and voicing opposition to the Korean Warfare, an act that drew the FBI’s consideration. This marked the start of a watch that might proceed for years. In a single now-public doc, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover instructed the company’s New York workplace to “do one thing about Malcolm X.”
The company intently monitored his actions, in the end compiling greater than 3,600 pages of recordsdata that documented practically each element of his life. Historian Clayborne Carson has analyzed these information not solely as proof of presidency scrutiny but in addition as a lens by way of which to hint Malcolm’s ideological progress and rising political affect. The FBI tracked his actions, associations with Black leaders and organizations, and public engagements proper up till his assassination on February 21, 1965.
Notably, in 2024, Malcolm’s property and household filed a lawsuit towards the FBI, CIA, and a number of other different entities, alleging they had been concerned within the civil rights icon’s assassination.
